Physiotherapy Assistant

We are looking for a motivated individual to work as a Physiotherapy Assistant within our well-established Respiratory Physiotherapy team. This role will be focused on providing a high standard of Physiotherapy treatment and evaluation to clients within the Inpatient Respiratory Physiotherapy service at St Richard's Hospital, Chichester.

You will have excellent opportunities for your own skills development, this post will start as a permanent Band 2 position and potentially progress to a Band 3 once appropriate competencies have been met. You will work within a strong and supportive MDT and alongside an established peer group of Physiotherapy Support Workers. This exciting position is an excellent opportunity to work within a dynamic, forward-looking and innovative department.

St Richard's Hospital is in a wonderful location, situated adjacent to the South Downs National Park, the beautiful historical city of Chichester, the sea and with excellent transport links to London and across Southern England.

You will be joining a strong and supportive Physiotherapy team within the top performing University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. We look forward to welcoming you on an informal visit or discussing any aspect of this exciting opportunity further.
- To work as part of the Respiratory Physiotherapy Team providing a high quality and comprehensive therapy service to patients.
- To work with adults with varied conditions, including respiratory, orthopaedic, elderly rehabilitation, amputees, neurological, etc.
- To work unsupervised as well as alongside the qualified Physiotherapists.
- To regularly feedback to Physiotherapists regarding patients’ progress.
- To be involved with data collection/audit to monitor service, general statistic collation and outcome measures the team are using.
- To assist with the clerical and professional administrative tasks required to provide an efficient and effective high quality service.

Join us at UHSussex, every day is different, you can be the change, better never stops.

At UHSussex we’re proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK’s largest acute Trusts, we’re a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.

**Improving lives**: We are a vibrant and inclusive organisation, with hardworking, talented and dedicated individuals, who work together towards a common goal, to always put our Patient First. Our mission is summed up by our ‘where better never stops’ motto and no matter the role at UHSussex, you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex. We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our wellbeing programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

**Build a career with us**: As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
- To support physiotherapy and inpatient teams to deliver the best patient care possible.
- To carry own caseload of patients with predictable conditions who require treatments. Liaising with physiotherapist as required. The size of the caseload will be small in nature initially and will increase over time.
- Involved in the Rehabilitation of patients.
- To assist nursing staff and therapists as required regarding day to day care of patients, e.g. transfers, maintaining hygienic environment.
- Read, monitor and safely disconnect / reconnect equipment, knowing when it is acceptable to do so to enable therapeutic treatment to take place in an appropriate setting.
- Be able to read and interpret monitored information to ensure patient and therapist safety during therapy session e.g. BP, HR, SaO2 etc. To request support with this where uncertain.
- To assess, measure, label, adjust to size and issue walking aids as appropriate and various standard splints.

Please see Job Description and Person Specification for full details.