Specialist Physiotherapist - NICU

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and enthusiastic physiotherapist to join our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit team at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS foundation trust.

You will provide specialist physiotherapy assessment and treatment for neonates within a busy NICU service, supporting respiratory care, developmental care, early intervention, and family-centred practice. You will work closely within the multidisciplinary neonatal team and contribute to service development, teaching, and clinical supervision.

The post holder will manage a full caseload within NICU and neonatal follow up until 2 years old, ensuring each child receives the highest standard of care possible within resource limitations.

We are looking for a physiotherapist with:

• Significant post-registration experience in paediatric and neonatal physiotherapy
• Experience in acute paediatric and neonatal settings
• Excellent communication and MDT working skills
• Evidence of continuing professional development

In return, we offer excellent professional development opportunities and the chance to work within a supportive specialist neonatal team.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for the delivery of specialist neonatal physiotherapy support within the model of Family Integrated Care to infants and families on the neonatal units at ­­­­­Bedfordshire Hospitals Neonatal Services on both Luton and Bedford site

The role will use highly specialist skills to manage their own complex caseload, working collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team.  They will be responsible for providing advanced neonatal physiotherapy assessment, advice and interventions with babies who are most at risk of developmental issues in the future and to support the neonatal unit with promoting and delivering family integrated developmental care.

The post holder will work as an integral member of the neonatal multidisciplinary team, working closely alongside families,  Neonatal Consultants and Nursing Teams, Infant Feeding team, AHP and Psychology Team (local and ODN) to provide evidence based care.

The post holder will manage a full caseload within NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and neonatal follow up until 2 years old, ensuring each child receives the highest standard of care possible within resource limitations.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To undertake the comprehensive assessment of patients, including those with a complex presentation, using investigative and analytical skills. To interpret clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnosis and prognosis in a wide range of highly complex conditions. These include children with neurological, orthopaedic and respiratory problems.
• To have highly developed skills in the observation, handling and assessment skills for an extremely fragile patient population and to interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts, including perinatal and maternal history to assist in the formulation of accurate diagnoses and prognoses in a wide range of highly complex conditions.
• To formulate individualised management and treatment plans recommending the best course of intervention. To formulate a specialised programme of care using clinical reasoning and to utilise a wide range of treatment skills. This usually involves liaison with a wide range of professionals across the health and social services. Due to the complexity and nature of the patient’s conditions, care management is often longer term and thus requires frequent re-assessment.
• To assist with reviewing, organising and participate in the neurodevelopmental follow up clinic with Neonatal consultants to assess children at 9 months and 2 years.
• To assist with reviewing, organising and participate in the physiotherapy follow up outpatient clinics