Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Band 8a Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist to lead therapy services within the newly redeveloped Acute Medical Unit (AMU) at QEH Woolwich.



This leadership role involves overseeing therapy assessment, treatment, and discharge planning for patients with acute medical conditions, ensuring timely and effective interventions to improve outcomes and facilitate safe discharge.



The successful candidate will provide clinical leadership and specialist input, supporting patients with complex needs. They will develop evidence-based rehabilitation pathways and lead a multidisciplinary therapy team to foster continuous improvement.



The role includes monitoring service performance through audits, data analysis, and patient feedback, with reporting to senior management. Supporting team management to prioritise interventions that reduce length of stay and prevent unnecessary admissions/readmissions is essential.



The ideal candidate will contribute to service development, quality improvement, and research, ensuring compliance with professional standards and NHS policies.



Experience in service development, quality improvement, and managing priorities in a fast-paced environment is required.

Please note:

Interview date 1st September 2025



Provide clinical leadership and expert specialist therapy input within the AMU, supporting patients with complex acute medical needs.



Develop and implement evidence-based treatment pathways tailored to the acute medical patient population.



Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary therapy team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional development.



Collaborate closely with medical, nursing, social care and community teams to ensure integrated, patient-centered care.



Manage caseloads effectively, prioritizing interventions that reduce length of stay and prevent unnecessary hospital admissions or readmissions.



Monitor and evaluate service performance through audit, data analysis, and patient feedback, reporting outcomes to senior management.



Contribute to service development initiatives, quality improvement projects, and research activities relevant to acute medical rehabilitation.



Ensure compliance with professional standards, NHS policies, and local protocols.



Proven leadership and management skills at Band 8a or equivalent level.



Strong clinical reasoning and decision-making skills with a patient-centered approach.



Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.



Experience in service development and quality improvement projects.



Commitment to continuous professional development and evidence-based practice.



Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:



Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development



Widening access (anchor institution) and employability



Improving the experience of staff with disability



Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development



Making equalities mainstream.



Please see videos below for some further insight into our teams and the trust:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKDaYIwUhfo



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owQliCbXe2w



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZtWRicaclU



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVS-EjGWloM

Job Summary:

To lead a high quality, effective and efficient AMU therapy service within inpatient therapy services



To work collaboratively with system partners & stakeholders to ensure a seamless pathway for the patients accessing the service



To utilise highly specialised and expert clinical reasoning skills and therapeutic knowledge to manage an autonomous caseload and provide support to the AMU therapy team



To be the lead therapist for the AMU currently at Queen Elizabeth Hospital site



To support the inpatient Lead Therapists in the operational management of the AMU team. Ensuring development of the service in line with evidence based practice and working across the whole Acute and Emergency pathway

Key Result Areas & Performance:

1 CLINICAL



1.1 To be responsible for the delivery of Queen Elizabeth Hospital's AMU Therapy service



1.2 To act as a source of expertise in the acute assessment, intervention and rehabilitation of the acutely unwell patient and provide an advisory and teaching role to patients, other therapists and healthcare professionals, GPs and consultants as required.



1.3 To be an autonomous practitioner and an expert clinician in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management of patients in early admission at QEH promoting admission avoidance and length of stay within recommended timeframes.



1.4 To provide effective clinical leadership to the multidisciplinary AMU team incorporating physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and support staff.



1.5 To work with the Inpatient lead therapists, heads of profession (OT/PT/SLT), Head of Therapies and other relevant partners, in developing the strategic and operational management of the AMU service.



1.6 To use a highly advanced theoretical and evidence based knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology and clinical reasoning to assess and diagnose patients, often in situations where conflicting evidence is present.



1.7 To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients, and to organise this efficiently and effectively regarding clinical priorities and time management, ensuring a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management and under the management of the staff for whom you are clinically responsible



1.8 To demonstrate physical ability to carry out highly skilled therapy assessments and interventions including a wide range of therapy techniques and therapeutic handling



1.9 To co-ordinate intervention which will include other disciplines, including advising and educating patients, carers and relatives



1.10 To provide specialist advice and guidance regarding medical conditions relevant to falls to other health care professionals, both within and outside the Trust.



1.11 To be responsible for ensuring that quality standards and effectiveness of patient care are continually improved by self and designated team through formal and informal facilitation / staff development



2 WORKFORCE



2.1 To provide expert advice, guidance and support, both spontaneous and planned, to other therapists (physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists) in the management of patients following an acute hospital presentation.



2.2 To be responsible for the daily management, supervision and co-ordination AMU therapy team, including staff appraisal, performance management, informal grievance, and to be able to lead on staff recruitment.



3 FINANCIAL



3.1 To provide an efficient and effective AMU service within the allocated budget by appropriate management of the resources



3.2 To have oversight of roster and lead on roster management for the team.



3.3 To authorise temp staffing time sheets.



3.4 Alongside site lead to lead on recruitment for the AMU therapy team.



4 PARTNERSHIPS, COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS



4.1 To use specialist knowledge to refer to other health disciplines, as appropriate



4.2 To work collaboratively with the acute admissions pathway within Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH)and Royal Borough of Greenwich (RBG) and other relevant services to develop a seamless pathway for patients.



4.3 To act as a resource for consultants, other referring clinicians and multidisciplinary colleagues regarding specialist knowledge and advice in relation to the therapy management of patients.



4.4 To be responsible for the maintenance of accurate written records to include comprehensive progress and discharge reports to medical referrers, and legal reports.



4.5 To be able to motivate and persuade others through advanced communication skills, with the benefit of verbal and non-verbal skills, using written and electronic information where needed



4.6 To demonstrate the ability to communicate complex and sensitive information.



4.7 To clearly convey complex knowledge of techniques, biomechanics, anatomy and physiology to patients and staff where evidence underpinning practice may be conflicting, and ensuring sensitivity to the audience level of understanding and previous knowledge



4.8 To be able to manage potentially stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner



4.9 To attend meetings and seminars, and to liaise with and advise other disciplines, to achieve comprehensive, effective and confidential patient management through to discharge



4.10 To represent the Therapy Department on various Trust and departmental groups and working parties, as indicated.