Hand Therapist

The post is suitable for either an OT or Physio with experience within hand therapy, or an experienced band 5 who wants to gain more clinical experience and development in the Hand Therapy field. We would consider a band 5 development post; during the first 12-18 months of your employment in this position, you will be supported by the team to complete a series of competencies. At this point and once achieved, you will transition to a band 6 position.

You will develop your skills within a supportive learning environment through competency-based learning, including shadowing, 1:1 tutorials, joint appointments, external courses, and in-service training. You will provide skilled assessment of patients with diverse and complex presentations using advanced clinical reasoning skills to provide appropriate treatment and advice to patients, based on sound knowledge and evidence-based practice., We see hand/wrist dysfunction or injury, including rheumatology, plastics, neurology, and non-specific diagnoses. Referrals are received from GPs, other NHFT AHPs, and Consultants. We have good links with the local hospitals and we also run a joint clinic with an Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner.

We work with patients to set goals and achieve the best possible outcome for returning to the activities that are important. This takes the form of advice, education, exercises, task adaptation or splinting. You will participate in running a Rheumatology group. Our therapists enable the patient to take control of their treatment plan and progress. Appointments are a mixture of face-to-face, telephone, and video. Notes and exercise programmes are created digitally.

You will have responsibility for your own caseload, as well as delegating, escalating, and advising colleagues as appropriate. You will have knowledge and skills that allow you to effectively treat a wide array of conditions, and to issue and fabricate splints as needed. You will be required to support the technical instructor and be responsible for caseloads, tasks, or projects delegated to you by the team lead.

We are a small team of 1x band 7 lead, 4x band 6 Hand Therapists, x1 Band 4 Technical instructor and x2 administrators. The team covers four clinics across the county, providing the highest quality of care and placing an emphasis on empowering and enabling patients to enhance their treatment plan.

NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in both hospital settings and out in the community. Because we put the person at the centre of all we do, we focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible. This means many of our services can be provided at home, work or in schools.We also provide health services to various prisons and detention centres in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.