Senior Occupational Therapist - Acute Medicine

The Acute & Emergency Medicine Therapy team at Luton & Dunstable Hospital is seeking a highly motivated Band 6 Occupational Therapist. This role offers an excellent development opportunity for an experienced Band 5 OT ready to progress or for a existing Band 6 OT. The team delivers therapy input across a 7-day extended hours service, supporting key front-door services including the Emergency Department, Medical Assessment Units and the Frailty Unit.

You will work within a friendly, supportive ED environment that promotes learning and skills development, helping you to further advance your clinical career. The therapies team is committed to ongoing service development, maintaining high clinical standards, and striving for excellence in patient care. Working closely with the multidisciplinary team, you will play a vital role in providing timely Occupational Therapy input and ensuring patient-centred decision-making at all times.

The service is actively involved in quality improvement initiatives. The post includes contributing to the supervision and development of students, apprentices and junior staff. Staff are supported through regular supervision, OT Excellence training and CPD opportunities.

• To perform advanced Occupational therapeutic assessment of patients with diverse presentations and complex physical and psychological conditions, to determine a diagnosis, formulate and deliver an appropriate, individualised treatment programme.
• To hold responsibility for own caseload and be responsible for a defined area of the service/particular patient group, working without direct supervision. Access to advice and support from a more senior therapist is available if required. Clinical work is evaluated through regular clinical supervision with a specialist occupational therapist but day-to-day clinical work is not routinely reviewed.
• To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.
• To plan, supervise, educate and assess the performance of occupational therapy students on placement within the complex medicine wards. To work closely with the university and comply with all the standards required for the degree level qualification.
• Supported by the specialist occupational therapist, to design and undertake evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and team's clinical practice and improve service delivery with the specialist therapist. Make recommendations and occasionally implement changes to practice or service protocols, as agreed with the specialist occupational therapist.
• To deputise for the specialist occupational therapist in their absence, taking the lead role in the day-to-day operational management of the team.
• Applicants must demonstrate the Trust's values and meet the responsibilities outlined in the job description and person specification. You should have proven experience working in an acute hospital setting, with at least Band 5-level experience.
• Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff.
  
  As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.