Job Description

Are you interested in an opportunity to work within our Hand therapy department?

Dorset County Hospital Hand Therapy Service wish to offer the right person an exciting opportunity to join the dynamic hand therapy team. As a successful NHS in-house service, we provide high quality services in West Dorset.



The post advertised will be based at Dorset County Hospital, with a focus on covering adult and paediatric orthopaedic elective and trauma clinics, as well as rheumatology patients. Our dedicated MDT means we work closely with orthopaedic consultants in hand surgery, nursing staff, plaster technicians and orthotists.

We are truly an integrated team who are Hand Therapists first and foremost and therefore welcome applications from both Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists. We have a wide scope of practice within our specialty providing patient centred care. Prior experience working within the hand therapy department and making thermoplastic splints is essential.



The successful candidate will be part of the Hand therapy team and receive structured supervision and training to carry out their role effectively.



The hand therapist is a Specialised clinician, responsible for independently managing a full clinical caseload. They are responsible for supervising junior members of staff within the specialist team.



In conjunction with the Team Lead, the post holder participates in a rolling programme of education, clinical evaluation, audit and research across the speciality.



The clinician works as an integral part of the hand therapy team and the wider multi-professional hand team.



The postholder may be required to work at any of the sites within the trust. Should the service require it this post may become rotational and be filled by specialist staff rotating within the service.



To fully participate in whatever pattern of working is required by the service in the future.



The postholder may be required to work at weekends on a roster basis.



At DCHFT, we pride ourselves on the care we provide for our patients, and on the culture, we are creating for our staff. We work hard to create a fair, inclusive environment for our staff



Our Mission is to work in partnership to provide high quality, compassionate services and to nurture an environment where people can be at their best. Our vision is healthier lives, empowered citizens, thriving communities.



We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in all under-represented groups.



We understand that some applicants may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in preparing their application materials. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind candidates that all submissions must be truthful and accurately reflect your own experiences and suitability for this role.



Personal integrity and authenticity are central to our recruitment process. We value honesty and appreciate applications that are genuine and representative of the individual behind them.

UKVI Sponsorship:

This role is eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). We welcome applications from individuals who require sponsorship to work in the UK. Sponsorship will be offered subject to meeting UKVI eligibility criteria



Our DCHFT and Person Specification (attached) tells you all about this role, what to expect and what is needed to succeed. When completing your application please make sure to tell us how your experience and skills fit the person specification.



Please contact us at Recruitment@dchft.nhs.uk if you are unable to view or download the attachment.



For all our roles, we are looking for staff who hold our Trust Values of Integrity, Respect Teamwork and Excellence, and who are passionate about providing the best patient care. To read more about our Trust and our Values search Dorset County Hospital online.