Senior Physiotherapist - Medicine | Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (BFT)

Job description

About

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Older persons Medicine team as a permanent static band 6.  This post will work within the team covering older persons medical wards within our Southmead Operating Unit.  These wards include our frailty short stay, complex medical wards and Elgar Enablement unit.  This role gives valuable experience working with patients presenting with frailty and complex clinical needs.  You will have the opportunity to  develop your expertise, utilising a wide range of skills, within older persons medicine at one of the region's leading tertiary and major trauma centers. 

Opportunities include developing wider clinical skills in the management of older adults, building on leadership skills, deputising for clinical leads when required, leading on quality improvement projects and working with wider MDT on improving pathways for older adults. 

The core hours for the post are 08:00-16:00 Monday-Friday.  The post holder will contribute to bank holiday and weekend rosters.  

Please view our Trust video

 

 

• Providing a physiotherapy service to the wards covered by the older persons medicine team

• Working effectively with all team members within the physiotherapy service, NBT and outside agencies to provide information about physiotherapy treatment.

• Communicate effectively with patients and Carers to progress treatment programs, provide reassurance and facilitate their care.

• Will take an active part in our weekend rota

• Supervise and mentor junior members of the team

• Deputises when required in absence for clinical leads

• Work with clinical leads to develop networks with other local hospitals and teams working on existing pathways and establishing new ones as required.

 

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.  

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.  

 Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge. 

Please see Job description for full details of the post - key features listed below 

Knowledge 

Theoretical knowledge in Anatomy and Physiology, Movement, Biomechanics and Pathologies.

Theoretical knowledge of impact of chronic conditions on patients physical presentation.  

Has specialised knowledge in frailty including practical skills in the management of conditions commonly seen with frailty syndromes.

Knowledge of a range of physiotherapy assessment skills 

Experience

A wide range of postgraduate experience  across core rotational areas at band five and six level

Experience in supervision /mentoring.

Experience in working with patients living with frailty

Experience of presenting information, written and oral in a clear and logical manner.

Understanding of clinical governance and its implications for services

Skills

To perform physiotherapeutic examination and assessment and treatment of patients with diverse medical presentations, physical and psychological conditions to provide a clinical diagnosis and to develop and deliver physiotherapy treatment plans. 

To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous physiotherapy practioner

 

We are one of the largest NHS hospital trusts in the UK. More than 28,000 staff care for over 1.1 million people each year. We provide care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In addition to local hospital care, we provide a wide range of specialist services for people across the South West and from all over the country.

Our specialist services include major trauma, children’s services, neurosciences, burns and plastics, stroke and thrombectomy, cardiology, cancer care, haematology, ophthalmology, cardiothoracic care, nephrology, immunology, infectious diseases and HIV, sexual health, transplant services, and obstetric medicine.

We are also a research and teaching trust. We work closely with the Universities of Bristol, Bath and the West of England to support research, innovation and education, and to improve care for patients now and in the future.

Working with patients, communities and partners we want people and communities to help shape the care we provide.

We work with patients, carers, communities, staff, voluntary organisations, and health and care partners to understand what matters most. This helps us improve services, reduce health inequalities, and make better decisions about the future of care.

The physiotherapy teams have well established CPD programs and strong supervision and wellbeing support. The senior physiotherapists regularly contribute to service development and QI projects and support junior staff, students and support workers.

 

 

This advert closes on Wednesday 4 Nov 2026