Occupational Therapist

Job details

• Job reference: 250417
• Salary: Band 5 (£34,544 - £43,039)
• Job closing date: 18/06/2026
• Job Type: Allied Health Professions
• Location: Royal Edinburgh Hospital
• Employment type: Fixed-term
• Hours Per Week: 36
• Job posted date: 05/06/2026
• Employer (NHS Board): NHS Lothian
• Department: Occupational Therapy

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

Occupational Therapist - Older People’s Mental Health

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Occupational Therapist to join the Older People’s Mental Health service based at the Orchard Clinic, Royal Edinburgh Hospital. Working with older adults with complex mental health needs (including Dementia) in an in-patient setting you will contribute to assessment, occupational formulation, positive risk taking and rehabilitation to ensure minimal length of stay, assist on decision-making on discharge destination, and to facilitate safe and timely discharge.

Working within a multidisciplinary team, you will have opportunities to develop your skills in clinical decision-making, group work and liaison with families, carers and support services. Occupational Therapy leadership is embedded in the team, providing ongoing profession-specific support to enable you to deliver a high-quality and person-centred occupational therapy service.

You will possess excellent communication and have a collaborative approach to multidisciplinary working. You will be an enthusiastic team player who is able to motivate others as well as working using your own initiative. You will be a passionate advocate for the value of occupational therapy within Older People’s pathways.

You will receive regular clinical and professional supervision and will be supported to take up a range of training and professional development opportunities. A passion for quality improvement and innovative practice is welcomed and is actively supported through our quality improvement team.

Informal enquiries are encouraged – please contact Morna Russell, Team Lead Occupational Therapist, on 0131 537 5481 or email morna.russell@nhs.scot

Have you seen our AHP Innovation, Research and Improvement intentions? Our exciting AHP strategy aims to cultivate AHP potential in NHS Lothian:

www.weare.nhslothian.scot/hcprofessionsresearch/building-research-capacity-and-capability/allied-health-professions-research

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As from 1st April 2026, the Agenda for Change full-time working week will be reducing from 37 to 36 hours per week. Part time hours will be reduced pro-rata. However, there will be a corresponding increase in the hourly rate so that pay will not be affected.

Please note: we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage.

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To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found in the further information for this vacancy.

This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post.