Advanced Physiotherapist – adult primary ciliary dyskinesia Full Time NEW

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role

Main duties of the job

Are you an experienced Band 6 or 7 respiratory Physiotherapist looking for a new challenge and an opportunity to develop your leadership, research and clinical skills as a highly specialist respiratory physiotherapist?

We are looking for motivated, dynamic and flexible Band 7 specialist Physiotherapists to join our specialist adult primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) team at UHS. You will be working within a highly specialist multidisciplinary team to deliver person-centred care to adults with PCD living across the southwest of England.

You will work closely with the PCD diagnostic service to ensure that adult patients have access to PCD diagnostics in a timely manner and receive physiotherapy as soon as a PCD diagnosis is confirmed.

Adult PCD clinics are mainly held at UHS or the Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton, however you will also need to attend regional clinics in the southwest of England including Exeter, Bristol, Oxford, Penzance, Gloucester, Plymouth and Windsor.

This post is part of the wider Therapy services department. You will have many opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge through our in-service training. You will be part of a large department of over 300 therapy staff including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Therapy support staff, so will have peer support available to you.

Working for our organisation

University Hospital Southampton is one of England’s largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS, we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognising that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

We are looking for highly experienced, motivated, and pro-active respiratory Physiotherapists to work in a dedicated, friendly MDT, with full time, part time and flexible working patterns considered.

You will need evidenced experience of working with adults with suppurative lung disease and providing holistic care to patients with complex respiratory and psychological needs. This role is the ideal opportunity for an individual who is keen to develop their specialist respiratory knowledge as well as their leadership skills.

About The Service

The South of England adult PCD management service is commissioned to provide outpatient care for all adults with PCD who attend. This is a small team, so you will need to work collaboratively with the MDT to ensure we provide a seamless service across the week, meeting the needs of our ever-increasing patient population. You must have knowledge of the management of patients with chronic suppurative lung disease and be able to provide holistic care for patients to meet their clinical and psychosocial needs. You will often be the only adult PCD physiotherapist in the hospital and will be required to provide expertise and knowledge to the wider therapy team, including the adult cystic fibrosis physiotherapists.

As well as attending weekly clinics in Southampton you will be expected to attend regional clinics and provide expert advice on the physiotherapy management of PCD to colleagues in regional hospitals. Attendance at these clinics may require an overnight stay in a local hotel, with travel expenses covered by the adult PCD service.

Our team works closely with PCD centres in the UK (Leeds, Leicester/Birmingham and the Brompton, in London) and you will have the opportunity to work with the other PCD Physiotherapists in England on national service development, audit and research and get peer support from them, as well as receiving peer support from the Therapy and PCD teams in Southampton.

Post Requirements

The post holder will be expected to engage in service development including clinical audit and research. The role will require supervising undergraduate students, as well as providing specialist advice to colleagues at UHS and nationwide. Additionally, you will work closely with the PCD nursing team to triage phone calls and emails and ensure the service is covered throughout the working week from 9am – 5pm.

The successful applicant would be expected to work at weekends within all fields of medicine and be rostered on the Physiotherapy respiratory on-call and twilight rota, working across the acute wards and/or the home ventilation on-call service.

Skills And Experience Needed

As well as the person specification we are also looking for the following essential and desirable skills and experience related to this specific post:

• HCPC registered and experienced Physiotherapist with a broad range of post-qualification respiratory experience

Experience at Band 6/7 level in managing patients with chronic lung disease e.g. able to demonstrate knowledge of advanced airway clearance techniques, exercise, pelvic floor health, breathing pattern disorders, NIV and palliative care

• Proven experience in undertaking respiratory on-call service shifts, including intensive care, in adults and children
• Evidence of leadership skills and experience
• Ability to make decisions about appropriate patient management using advanced clinical reasoning skills, in a variety of demanding situations
• Clear expressed desire on your application to work on the UHS PCD team as part therapy services
• Car driver, for working between hospital sites, with some clinic locations requiring overnight stays

Desirable Skills And Experience

• Experience in the management of patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia
• Ability to undertake telephone clinics to manage patients remotely.
• Screening and recruiting patients for research studies

Please Note

• Interviews will be held in person on 30th June, with face-to-face interviews only, due to a practical interview component. No virtual option will be possible, please only apply if you can attend in person.
• As part of the interview involves a practical assessment, please wear smart, comfortable clothing.
• We do not accept CV applications.

If this post is not for you and you are interested in other therapy opportunities, please e-mail: Annette.Purkis@uhs.nhs.uk

Person specification

Trust Values

Essential criteria

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together

Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience

Essential criteria

• Masters in Physiotherapy or equivalent experience: highly specialist skills with relevant levels of study
• Current HCPC registration
• Significant relevant clinical experience or with the ability to demonstrate significant experience in physiotherapy practice
• Evidence of proven leadership and supervisory skills
• Previous experience within relevant clinical area
• Previous experience on-call, where relevant to clinical area
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Experience of audit, evaluation, or research
• Evidence of implementing change in a clinical environment

Desirable criteria

• Management qualification, or equivalent experience
• Attendance at post-graduation courses, or conferences, relevant to clinical area
• Able to demonstrate sound understanding of healthcare priorities and political agendas
• Experience working in an acute hospital setting
• Leadership qualification, or experience