Senior Occupational Therapist

Job overview

We are seeking a skilled and compassionate Senior Occupational Therapist to join our Trauma and Orthopaedics (T&O) team at the Royal Derby Hospital. This role plays a key part in supporting patients to maximise independence, safety, and quality of life following orthopaedic injury or surgery.

You will provide high-quality, evidence-based occupational therapy assessments and interventions across 6 orthopaedic wards, covering trauma, elective, private patients and day cases, contributing to patients personal therapy needs, ongoing rehabilitation goals and discharge planning.  You will also support with the development of junior staff and students, contribute to service improvement and learning within the team.

You will deputise for the Band 7 in their absence taking responsibility for operational management of the team and daily tasks.

This role offers an excellent opportunity to develop specialist skills in acute orthopaedics while taking on leadership responsibility.

Join the Royal Derby Hospital, a leading teaching hospital within the NHS, known for delivering high-quality patient care and supporting professional growth. You’ll be apart of a dedicated, multidisciplinary team in a modern, well-equipped organisation, with access to excellent training and development opportunities. Work where your contribution makes a real difference to patients and the local community, while benefiting from the strong values, support, and career progression the trust offers.

Main duties of the job

• Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• HCPC registration as an Occupational Therapist.
• A broad range of post-grade Occupational Therapy experience, including experience in acute orthopaedic settings.
• Deliver specialist Occupational Therapy assessment and intervention for patients across the Trauma & Orthopaedics unit, including elective pathways, private patients and orthopaedic clinics.
• Contribute to a 7-day service which includes some late finishes and working one weekend a month.
• Strong communication and organisational skills.
• To maintain regular, long periods of concentration throughout working hours
• Evidence of CPD, attendance of mandatory training and further learning.

Leadership, Teaching & Support

• To deputise for senior staff in their absence, taking responsibility for operational management of the team, allocating and organising the work of Occupational Therapist and support staff to meet service priorities on a daily basis.
• Support, supervise, and mentor junior Occupational Therapists, therapy assistants, and students as appropriate. .

Service Development & Quality

• Participate in audit, service evaluation, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Contribute ideas that promote inclusive, efficient, and patient‑centred services.
• Engage with evidence‑based practice, research and ongoing professional development.

Closing date: 28 May 2026

Interview date: 11 June 2026

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached Job description and Person Specification. To apply please click APPLY FOR THIS JOB – this link will take you to the TRAC Recruitment Site. You will need to register if you do not already have an account.

UHDB is committed to fair and transparent recruitment. We welcome authentic applications that reflect your own skills, experience and motivations for the role. While we understand that candidates may use AI tools for grammar, formatting or accessibility purposes, applications that appear to be substantially AI‑generated may be subject to additional review. If this applies to your submission, we will let you know and may ask for clarification. Please ensure your application accurately represents your experience and is written in your own words.

Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click on the link to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorship Impacts of the changes to the UK immigration policy | NHS Employers

Your application (for shortlisting purposes) is assessed based on the Person Specification in the job advert (below).