Job overview

We are seeking a dynamic forward-thinking Occupational or Physiotherapist for a trainee Specialist Advanced practitioner to work in the Frailty Assessment Unit (FAU) within County Hospital, with close integration into Emergency Medicine and front-door services. This role is designed to provide senior clinical leadership to patients presenting with frailty syndromes, supporting safe, person-centred and efficient care pathways from the Emergency Department (ED) into either early supported discharge or further inpatient care.

FAU is a bespoke 6 bedded frailty assessment unit. You will work in an MDT setting. The MDT comprises of consultants, ACPs, nursing staff, dedicated therapists and IDH support.

The post-holder will work closely with ED, Acute Medicine, Geriatrics and community services to support admission avoidance, timely CGA and holistic patient management. Frailty services at County Hospital are currently rated 3^rd in the country (out of 176), SAMIT 75+ data. The role spans the Emergency Department, Frailty Assessment Unit and relevant SDEC / Acute Medicine areas.

The post holder will be in a trainee role depending on level of experience and will be supported to complete appropriate training to upskill in supplementary prescribing and health assessment. Development opportunities for leadership skills within the role as well as overseeing clinical audit and facilitation of service development. 

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will have had a minimum of 4 years previous NHS experience and good experience of working within Acute Medicine / Emergency Portals. Candidates should have a good range of transferable skills such as, advanced assessment, minor injuries management, independent prescribing and advanced life support. Our focus is on safe admission avoidance, acute interventions to improve functional outcomes and give specialist falls prevention.

Main duties of the job

• To work as specialist advanced therapy practitioner managing the clinical delivery of care within fraility.
• To lead the clinical team organise staff and resources to meet service standards and demands.
• Assessing complex patients from acute frailty admissions with multi pathology that may be neurological, cognitively and perceptually impaired to make decisions on safe discharge and onward management.
• To provide specialist training to therapy staff and other members of the MDT.
• Use analytical and problem solving skills to interpret, analyse and evaluate complex information from a variety of sources

Supervision is provided by Principal Therapists and continuous development is supported through appraisal, supervision, internal and external learning.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is one of the largest and most modern in the country. Based across two sites, Royal Stoke in Stoke-on-Trent and County Hospital in Stafford, we are proud to serve around three million people and we're highly regarded for our facilities, teaching and research. We are the specialist centre for major trauma for the North Midlands and North Wales.

All of our employees make a valuable contribution regardless of role here at UHNM and we are proud of our wide range of development packages aimed at ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their true potential. 

UHNM create and encourage a culture of inclusion, providing equal opportunities for career development that are fair and transparent. We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer and foster a culture in which all staff feel valued and respected. In return we ask all of our employees to make a commitment to the values, co-created by or staff, patients and carers, and that unite us as a Trust.

At University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust we know that investing in, supporting and developing our staff has a direct impact on the quality of care that we deliver. Our employees are as important as our patients and the population that we serve.