Job Description

Take professional responsibility as a first-contact physiotherapist, with high-level decision-making and clinical-reasoning skills to assess, diagnose and triage of patients. Work independently, without day to day supervision, to assess, diagnose, triage, and manage patients, taking responsibility for prioritising and managing a caseload of the PCNs Registered Patients. Manage a complex caseload (including patients with long term conditions, co-morbidities and multi-factorial needs). Receive patients who self-refer (where systems permit) or from a clinical professional within the PCN, and where required refer to other health professionals within the PCN Leads, manages and contributes to service delivery, including attending Practice meetings and other meetings (e.g.



PPG/ICS) as appropriate to report on workstreams. Encourage collaborative working across the wider health economy and be a key contributor to supporting the development of physiotherapy clinical services across the PCN. Liaise with secondary and community care services, and secondary and community MSK services where required, using local social and community interventions as required to support the management of patients within the PCN; and support regional and national research and audit programmes to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the FCP programme. This will include communicating outcomes and integrating findings into own and wider service practice and pathway development.



Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient facing role, using their expert knowledge of movement and function issues, to create stronger links for widerservices through clinical leadership, teaching and evaluation. Develop integrated and tailored care programmes in partnership with patients, providing a range of first line treatment options including self-management, referral to rehabilitation focussed services and social prescribing. Make use of their full scope of practice, developing skills relating to independent prescribing, injection therapy and investigation to make professional judgements and decisions in unpredictable situations, including when provided with incomplete or contradictory information. They will take responsibility for making and justifying these decisions.



Manage complex interactions, including working with patients with psychosocial and mental health needs, referring onwards as required and including social prescribing when appropriate. Communicate effectively with patients, and their carers where applicable, complex and sensitive information regarding diagnoses, pathology, prognosis and treatment choices supporting personalised care. Implement all aspects of effective clinical governance for own practice, including undertaking regular audit and evaluation, supervision and training. Request and progress investigations (such as x-rays and blood tests) and referrals to facilitate the diagnosis and choice of treatment regime including, considering the limitations of these investigations, interpret and act on results and feedback to aid patients diagnoses and management plans; and Develop integrated and tailored care programmes in partnership with patients through: Effective shared decision-making with a range of first line management options (appropriate for a patients level of activation).



Assessing levels of Patient Activation to support a patients own level of knowledge, skills and confidence to self-manage their conditions, ensuring they are able to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of self-management interventions, particularly for those at low levels of activation. Agreeing with patients appropriate support for self-management through referral to rehabilitation focussed services and wider social prescribing as appropriate; and designing and implementing plans that facilitate behavioural change, optimise patients physical activity and mobility, support fulfilment of personal goals and independence, and reduce the need for pharmacological interventions. Help plan, develop and support the introduction of new working processes within the Practice to optimise the service. Accountable for decisions and actions via HCPC registration, supported by a professional culture of peer networking/review and engagement in evidence-based practice.



Streamline pathway of care by providing a responsive service so that patients receive timely access to care. Ensure care is proactive, preventative in focus and population based, with an emphasis on early intervention. Provide care which is tailored to the individual needs. This would include appraising the impact of individuals clinical status on their general health, well-being, employment status (including in relation to function, physical activity, mobility and independence).



Support patients to set their own goals and be confident in their approach to self-management. Communicate effectively and appropriately with patients and carers complex and sensitive information regarding diagnosis, pathology and prognosis. Use a range of clinical skills which may include: o Non-medical independent prescribing o Joint/soft tissue injections o Joint aspirations Provide learning opportunities for the whole multi professional team within primary care. Work with Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) to develop more effective and streamlined clinical pathways and services.



Exercise professional judgement, making, justifying and taking responsibility for decisions in unpredictable situations, including in the context of incomplete/contradictory information. Manage interactions in complex situations, including with individuals with particular psychosocial and mental health needs and with colleagues across the primary care team, sectors and settings. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the postholders grade as agreed with the postholders line manage.