Highly Specialist Pelvic Health Physiotherapist

Job overview

The Perinatal Pelvic Health service provides a range of outpatient services for women and birthing people across 2 acute sites.

Outpatient services are provided for women and birthing people referred with health conditions relating to any of the following: pregnancy, childbirth, bladder and bowel dysfunction, pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pain and/or sexual dysfunction.

There is an aim to develop inpatient pelvic health services, with a focus on provision of education and support to midwives and patients in the maternity setting.

Main duties of the job

This is a static post with the Perinatal Pelvic Health Physiotherapy service, working over two sites at Lewisham University Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

This post provides the opportunity to gain and consolidate knowledge and skills in the physiotherapeutic assessment and management of pelvic health conditions during the perinatal period.

Mainly based at University Hospital Lewisham but will be required to work at Queen Elizabeth Hospital

PLEASE NOTE: We may not be able to offer sponsorship for this post

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES- SUMMARY       •                 Assessment and management to those experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction during the perinatal perio
• •             Assessment and management of women with perineal trauma and/or at risk of developing pelvic floor dysfunction in the postnatal period       •                 Supporting the Midwifery and the Obstetric teams in identifying and referring women to the Perinatal Pelvic Health Service       •                 Early screening and identification of women or birthing people suffering with pelvic health related mental health issues       •                 Provision of antenatal and postnatal virtual education classes about the prevention and management of Pelvic floor dysfunction       •                 Training and educating midwifery staff in pelvic health, and updating staff in best practice    •                 Supporting maternity services in the identification of pelvic floor dysfunction, to include mentoring where appropriate   • Develop and maintain a specialised PPH quality screening and diagnostic service for all patients through their pregnancy journey    •                 Organise onward referral to appropriate services in a timely manner       KEY RELATIONSHIPS:    Internal: Obstetricians, Midwifery matrons; specialist midwives, consultant midwives, practice development midwives, other senior midwives, medical, midwifery and nursing staff at all levels in the maternity      and      community    services,       including obstetrician/gynaecologists, physiotherapists, urologists, sexual health services and mental health services.        External: multidisciplinary and multiagency community teams, CCG’s, GPs, women and their families.      CLINICAL   •                 To undertake all aspects of clinical duties and to carry a significant caseload of patients as an autonomous practitioner, including those with complex presentations.   •                 To work at an advanced level and to be professionally and legally accountable for a highly-specialised patient caseload and to decide priorities for own work area, balancing other patient related and professional demands.   •                 To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own work, and of the local pathway teams’ work.  This will include the management of clinical risk, clinical governance, knowledge of indications and precautions of chosen techniques in line with national and trust clinical guidelines and protocols where they exist.   •                 To assess patients’ capacity, gain valid and informed consent to treatment and where such capacity is lacking/absent to work within a legal framework in the management of the patient.   •                 To undertake the comprehensive assessment and accurate diagnosis of patients including those with complex presentation, using investigative, palpatory, analytical and clinical reasoning skills.   •                 Under supervision of the Clinical lead of PPHS and Physiotherapy Out-Patient Team Lead to request diagnostic procedures that will inform clinical decision making as appropriate to individual competency level and the job role.   To undertake physical treatment techniques utilising highly developed manual skills.   •                 To formulate individualized clinical management programs, utilizing a wide range of treatment skills and options to plan a highlyspecialised program of care.   •                 To use recognized outcome measures to evaluate the effect of physiotherapy interventions and ensure that treatment programs are progressing appropriately   •                 To provide spontaneous and planned expert advice, teaching and instruction to relatives, carers, other disciplines and agencies.  To promote understanding of the aims of physiotherapy and to ensure continuation of the treatment program.  To be consulted by staff within the local pathway and the trust   •                 To ensure accurate, comprehensive and up to date clinical records are maintained in accordance with Trust guidance and professionally agreed criteria   •                 To identify and employ suitable verbal and non-verbal communication skills with patients where there may be barriers to understanding or the inability to accept diagnosis.  To facilitate the best possible communication outcome in every situation and use appropriate services, e.g. interpreters.   •                 To ensure that individual practice and that of the local pathway team is patient focused and patient views are incorporated into treatment planning   •                 To employ appropriate skills such as persuasion, motivation and negotiation to gain co-operation in the continuation of the agreed treatment program   •                 To communicate with empathy, patient information which may be of a complex and sensitive nature including details of prognosis or disability that may be unwelcome   •                 To receive complex patient related information from patients, relatives, midwives, obstetricians, carers and other professionals to effectively plan and develop individual case management   •                 To communicate and advise, regarding complex patient related information effectively to ensure collaborative working within the physiotherapy and maternity service and with other professionals across health and other agencies to ensure the delivery of a coordinated multidisciplinary service   •                 To be integral in discharge planning including liaison with referring hospitals/maternity services or community staff to which patients are discharged, providing timely discharge reports
• •       To produce comprehensive patient related reports for other disciplines or agencies relating to assessment findings and or treatment outcomes   •                 To undertake an extended scope role as appropriate to the needs of the service and supervised by the team lead (an extended scope practioner undertakes delegated responsibility on behalf of medical practioner(s) including the independent management of complete episodes of care of patients from referral to discharge)