Specialist Physiotherapist Neuro Medical​/Respiratory Inpatients

Responsibilities

• Act as an autonomous practitioner to assess and treat own caseload, providing a highly specialist physiotherapy service for neuro‑medical critical care patients.
• Work as a core member of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) in acute neurology, critical care, and medical wards.
• Provide specialist assessment and management for patients with complex neurological, respiratory, and multi‑pathology conditions, including acute neurological deterioration, stroke, MND, and critically ill or complex medical patients.
• Lead on the development and delivery of physiotherapy input within the neuro‑medical critical care pathway.
• Support the organisation, prioritisation, and coordination of referrals across the neurology and medical inpatient services.
• Provide supervision, line management, and clinical leadership to junior physiotherapists, assistants, and students.
• Contribute to service development, clinical audit, quality improvement and research.
• Engage in continuing professional development (CPD) and maintain a portfolio of evidence.
• Participate in the 7‑day working rota and respiratory on‑call service.
• Communicate complex, sensitive, and sometimes distressing information to patients and families, including prognosis, rehabilitation potential, and treatment complexity.
• Use advanced communication strategies with patients who have cognitive, communication, or physical barriers (e.g., tracheostomy, intubation, dysphasia, reduced consciousness).
• Work collaboratively within the MDT to support safe, timely discharge planning and coordinated care.
• Provide written documentation including discharge summaries, therapy reports, care plans, and MDT contributions in line with CSP and Trust standards.
• Deliver teaching and training to MDT colleagues, students, and physiotherapy staff.
• Communicate performance feedback and support PDPs for junior staff.

• Undertake highly specialist assessment and treatment of patients with acute and complex neurological and medical presentations, including:
  • Stroke, neuromuscular disorders, rapidly deteriorating neurology
  • Critical illness, complex respiratory compromise, high‑dependency needs
  • Multi‑pathology, frailty, complex discharge needs
• Interpret and analyse advanced diagnostics including CT/MRI imaging and complex medical information.
• Formulate individualised treatment plans using advanced clinical reasoning.
• Identify and respond promptly to acutely deteriorating patients, escalating appropriately.
• Deliver specialist interventions such as neuromuscular facilitation, complex respiratory care, positioning, casting/splinting, early mobilisation and rehabilitation.
• Support seamless transitions across acute, community, and outpatient services.
• Prioritise and manage own and team caseloads based on clinical need.
• Maintain high standards of clinical governance, safety, and risk management.

• Line manage and supervise junior physiotherapists, assistants, and students.
• Support recruitment, induction and workforce planning.
• Support management of service cover, annual/study leave, and sickness.
• Manage conflict sensitively within teams and follow Trust HR processes as needed.
• Deputise for senior leads as required.
• Ensure safe and effective use of therapy equipment, including assessing for and ordering specialist items.

• Lead and contribute to audits, quality improvement projects, research and evaluation of service outcomes.
• Deliver and contribute to in‑service training across neuro, medical and critical care pathways.
• Participate in Trust and regional networks to support evidence‑based practice and guideline development.
• Contribute to strategic planning and operational development of neuro‑medical physiotherapy services.

• Provide empathetic support for patients and families experiencing distress, uncertainty or deterioration.
• Communicate difficult or unwelcome information in a professional and compassionate manner.
• Work in emotionally demanding environments, including critical care and deteriorating patients.

• Frequent moderate to intense physical effort for…