Northampton General Hospital
Job summary
The Band 6 Complex Discharge Therapist will provide specialist Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy assessment, treatment and discharge planning for patients with complex clinical, functional and social needs across inpatient services. This is the second year of receiving winter funding for the complex discharge therapy team, this year we will be approaching this as a UHN Therapies model, adding resilience and expertise across both NGH and KGH. Whilst NGH will be your primary site there may be occasions where you are required to work at KGH.
The post holder will work as part of a roaming therapy team providing expertise and assessment to the daily Discharge Hub, escalation areas and medically fit wards where therapy needs are impacting discharge. They will support timely, safe and effective discharge planning by identifying barriers to discharge, undertaking comprehensive assessments and working collaboratively with patients, carers, ward teams and external agencies to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Main duties of the job
Working autonomously within their professional scope of practice, the post holder will manage a complex caseload, undertaking detailed assessments, applying advanced clinical reasoning and developing individualised treatment and discharge plans. They will contribute to positive risk management discussions and provide expert advice to support decision making within multidisciplinary teams.
The post holder will work closely with ward-based therapists to provide joint assessments, support complex cases and promote effective use of therapy resources across the organisation. They will provide clinical support, supervision and teaching to Band 5 therapists, therapy support workers and students, contributing to workforce development and the delivery of high-quality therapy services.
The role includes participation in seven-day services and, where appropriate, professional on-call rotas. The post holder will contribute to service development, audit, quality improvement and evidence-based practice initiatives, acting as a role model for professional standards, patient-centred care and collaborative working across UHN.
The post holder will deputise for the lead therapist for day to day operational management tasks as required.
Person Specification
Skills
Essential
- Able to assess a patient’s needs and plan a treatment plan with short and long term goals.
- Able to support and teach Technical instructors and band 5 staff.
- Able to manage caseload autonomously.
- Physical effort e.g. moving patients.
- Emotional effort e.g. distressing or traumatic circumstances.
- Experience of interpersonal working.
- Good written and verbal communication .
- Able to modify and progress patient treatment.
- Able to maintain high standards of note keeping.
- Able to delegate effectively.
Desirable
- Teaching and presentation skills.
- Ability to access Department of Health and National Institute of Clinical Excellence information using the internet.
- Health and safety awareness.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Completion of at least 4 of the core band 5 rotations e.g. orthopaedics, surgical, medical, care of the elderly, respiratory and stroke unit.
- Current band 5 experience within an acute hospital setting.
- Participation in work based learning.
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
- Evidence of knowledge and understanding of the Clinical Quality Care standards.
- Experience of working in the NHS.
- Knowledge of discharge pathways
- Experience in treating patients with complex discharge needs
Desirable
- Experience of leading work based learning.
- Experience and knowledge of Clinical Governance.
Education, Training & Qualifications
Essential
- BSc Honours or equivalent in Physiotherapy.
- Health and Care Professions Council Registration.
Closing Date: 27 September 2026
To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.