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Team Leader Physiotherapist (Medicine)

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Medical Protection — indemnity for locally employed doctors from £79
Location
Plymouth, England
Salary
£49,387 - £56,515 Per Annum
Profession
Manager and corporate
Grade
Band 7
Deadline
01 Jun 2026
Contract Type
Permanent: Mon - Fri plus Oncall and weekend/bank holiday working
Posted Date
18 May 2026

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced, dynamic and enthusiastic physiotherapist with excellent multidisciplinary communication to lead and develop medical physiotherapy team. This post is integral to the delivery of a high standard of physiotherapeutic care and is integral to the multidisciplinary team’s ability to provide smooth and appropriate discharge planning with the wider community MDT. The successful candidate will work as a senior clinician in the field of general medicine, respiratory, oncology, haematology, hepatology, gastroenterology wards and respiratory out-patients areas.

The successful candidate must have extensive experience at a senior level in the field of acute medical and respiratory physiotherapy; be able to demonstrate an appropriate level of personal autonomy, clinical skill, leadership and knowledge of the national healthcare agenda. You must have good inter-personal skills, work well in a multidisciplinary team environment and have the ability to lead a team in challenging times.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Main duties of the job

To provide a high level of clinical leadership to the Medical team.

Undertake a team leader role with support from the Head of Physiotherapy and Therapies Directorate Manager in planning, co-ordinating, delivering, developing and evaluating the Physiotherapy Service provided to general medicine, respiratory, oncology, haematology, hepatology, gastroenterology wards and respiratory out-patients on a day-to-day basis. This involves working across the trust in a range of settings providing a seven-day service to medical areas.

To provide clinical leadership to more junior staff in the department and ensure governance agenda is delivered in line with trust structure.

Undertake a team leader role, with support from the Head of physiotherapy and Therapies Directorate Manager, in planning, co-ordinating, delivering, developing and evaluating the Physiotherapy service provided to medical patients, on a day-to-day basis.

To supervise/performance manage all staff line managed by this post.

To take a major role in the advanced assessment and treatment of patients within the speciality who may have acute complex and/or acute on chronic presentation, and to determine clinical diagnosis and physiotherapy treatment indicated, and to maintain records as an autonomous practitioner.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

  • To be professional and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care. To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management, and support more junior staff to do likewise.
  • Provide advice to medical and nursing staff and other members of the multi-disciplinary team regarding patients respiratory and chest functions/condition, when working on the emergency duty on-call rota.
  • To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate clinical diagnosis and prognoses in a wide range of highly complex conditions, to recommend the best course of intervention, and to develop comprehensive management plans.
  • To represent the trust externally (locally, regionally and nationally) regarding physiotherapy services provided to patients with complex medical conditions.
  • To undertake the comprehensive assessment of patients, including those with a complex presentation, using investigative and analytical skills, and to formulate individualised management and treatment plans, using clinical reasoning, and utilising a wide range or treatment skills and options to formulate a specialised programme of care and to support junior staff in this work
  • To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients, and to organise this effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and use of time.
  • To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory senses for assessment and manual treatment of patients.
  • Participate in providing a seven day service (Inclusive of bank holidays) for the   critical care areas as service provision requires.
  • Maintenance of respiratory competencies is essential due to the acute, complex and unstable nature of the patients.
  • Undertake the assessment and treatment of acutely ill patients with neurological / respiratory/ health problems, who may have a complex presentation and maintain associated records as an autonomous practitioner on a daily basis, including when working on the emergency duty rota.

See the attached job description for the role, and (where applicable) you can download a copy of the full job description.