Therapy Assistant

This is an exciting time to join Ashford & St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, as we work on the expansion of our theatres at Ashford Hospital, moving towards this becoming our dedicated elective centre. Our vision is to create a state of the art centre for excellence for planned surgical procedures; with care delivered by dedicated, specialist teams in a modern & well-equipped environment.

We hope to use this centre to create an environment of learning & to facilitate training of the next generation of our skilled NHS workforce. Our plans are ambitious - why not, come & be a part of our journey. We are looking to appoint to a number of roles, including this position of Therapy Assistant.

The team treat a variety of orthopaedic conditions such as Total Hip & Knee replacements, Shoulder surgery & Arthroscopic surgery.

We’re looking for an enthusiastic, motivated person with physio or occupational therapy assistant experience, good communication skills & the ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team. You’ll assist with exciting developments such as the 24hr total hip arthroplasty pathway & pre-op joint replacement phone consultations. Non-clinical duties will include; cleaning / maintenance of therapy equipment/treatment areas, pre-op telephone triage. You’ll be supported to develop your clinical skills via supervision & appraisal. There may also be a requirement to assist on the Orthopaedic Ward at St. Peter’s Hospital, so flexibility is essential.

**The main duties of the role include the requirement to**:

- To undertake skilled support work to aid the rehabilitation of elective

orthopaedic patients. This will include an initial assessment of patients within set parameters and implementation of rehabilitation programmes in order to facilitate clients reaching their optimum level of independence and social integration.
- To work, independently, as part of the orthopaedic team carrying a

delegated caseload, under the guidance and supervision of a qualified
member of staff, within set parameters, providing treatment regimens as monitored by qualified staff.
- To be independently responsible for time management, planning and

organisation of daily workloads as delegated by a qualified staff member.
- To be responsible for reporting on patient changes/ progress to qualified staff and relevant team members/ professions
- To continue professional development including participation in

physiotherapy professional training programmes.
- To undertake non-clinical duties related to the treatment and management of patients, i.e. registration of patients on computer, recording contacts, referrals, equipment ordering.
- To take part in the orthopaedic weekend service on a rota basis

Ashford and St. Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of more than 410,000 people living in North-West Surrey, parts of Hounslow and beyond.

Over 3,700 highly trained doctors, nurses, midwives, therapists, healthcare scientists and other support staff make up our workforce, providing a wide range of services across our two hospital sites, Ashford, Ashford, Surrey and St Peter's, Chertsey, Surrey.

We also run many specialist clinics in the community and local community hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

Our vision is to be one of the best healthcare Trusts in the country. There has never been a better time to join us in the NHS at Ashford & St Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with our strong commitment to staff health and wellbeing. We are committed to providing continuous professional development, staff benefits and flexibility to shape our workforce around our patient care.

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of the role and the essential and desirable criteria for applicants.