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Team Lead Medical Respiratory Physiotherapist
Band 7
Main area Physiotherapy Grade Band 7 Contract Fixed term: 12 months (Or Secondment) Hours
37.5 hours per week Job ref 279-7868124-MAR26
Employer University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal Sussex County Hospital Town Brighton Salary £47,810 - £54,710 Per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 02/04/2026 23:59
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. Our hard‑working, talented and dedicated people work together towards a common goal – to deliver Excellent Care Everywhere for our patients, our people and our communities.
Job overview
Come and join us! This is a great opportunity to become part of our dynamic, friendly, and forward‑thinking, inclusive Physiotherapy Team at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. We are recruiting an enthusiastic and highly motivated band 7 physiotherapist for a 12 months FTC/secondment to cover maternity leave.
Main duties of the job
- Provide day-to-day operational management of the Medical Respiratory and Renal team at Royal Sussex County Hospital, planning, coordinating, delivering and evaluating the Medical Respiratory Physiotherapy Service.
- Provide shared leadership to the physiotherapy team within a team‑based structure as a specialist in the field of respiratory medical physiotherapy and respiratory outpatients.
- Act as an autonomous practitioner carrying a high clinical caseload of patients, performing advanced assessment and treatment, determining clinical diagnoses and physiotherapy treatment plans, and maintaining records.
- Provide specialist advice to internal and external professionals such as community therapists, GPs, health visitors, and teachers.
- Be responsible for teaching, supervision and appraisal of other senior physiotherapists, physiotherapists, senior support workers, support workers and undergraduate students, ensuring a high quality of clinical care within the specialty.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Communication
- Adapt communication skills with non‑English speaking patients and parents; children of varying ages and those with multi‑sensory loss; speech and language disorders; complex needs and learning difficulties; and ensure all members of the team do likewise.
- Assess capacity to give consent, gain informed consent and work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment such as patients with learning difficulties or who are acutely confused.
- Persuade, motivate, empathise, reassure, explain and encourage patients and carers in undertaking their treatment programme, ensuring understanding of their condition and maximising rehabilitation potential.
- Demonstrate expert ability to clearly communicate complex and sensitive information to staff, patients, and carers, including explaining diagnoses or prognoses about long‑term or permanent disabilities or chronic pain.
- Diffuse potentially hostile and antagonistic situations with staff, patients and relatives using highly developed negotiation and interpersonal skills.
- Maintain accurate, comprehensive, and up-to‑date documentation in line with legal and departmental requirements, and communicate assessment and treatment results to appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters.
- Maintain close links and work collaboratively with all staff involved in patient care, student education, research or policy development and always promote good working relationships.
- Represent the Physiotherapy department on speciality issues within the Trust, e.g. infection control within the department.
- Ensure timely and effective communication with all physiotherapy staff on professional matters.
- Resolve verbal complaints and report all formal complaints, incidents and accidents to physiotherapy management as soon as possible, document according to Trust policy and carry out preliminary investigation.
Service delivery and improvement
- Be responsible, in conjunction with the Clinical Team Lead Physiotherapist, for policy implementation within the designated areas.
- Identify and implement service development within the designated areas and ensure the effectiveness of patient care is continually monitored and improved.
- Ensure that the service responds to national initiatives and policy within the framework of clinical governance, including clinical effectiveness, evidence-based healthcare, managing clinical risk and research and development.
People management and development
- Supervise less experienced staff and formulate Individual Development Plans, undertaking regular appraisals with team members.
- Work as an autonomous practitioner in collaboration with the MDT for the care, management and rehabilitation of medical and respiratory patients with acute/long‑term conditions that have complex symptoms.
- Support physiotherapy management in matters of grievance and disciplinary action when necessary.
- Assist where necessary in interviewing and appointing new Trust physiotherapy staff.
- Carry out duties in line with the Trust’s e‑rostering processes, including managing rosters, supporting staff allocation, and contributing to effective budget reconciliation and workforce planning.
- Have responsibility for the delivery of patient care in the designated area and to influence and advance physiotherapy practice Trust‑wide.
- Be professionally and legally responsible and accountable, as an autonomous practitioner, for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care.
- Ensure high standards of clinical care within the designated areas and ensure staff adhere to Trust, HCPC, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and Departmental standards of care.
Person specification
Professional Registration
Experience/Qualifications
- Diploma in Physiotherapy or BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy or MSc Physiotherapy or overseas equivalent
- Evidence of relevant postgraduate courses/CPD and reflective practice
- Completion of advanced respiratory physiotherapy training
Skills non-clinical
- Experience of supervising less experienced staff and students
- Involvement in carrying out clinical audit including the coordination and evaluation of findings to make service developments
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Skills Clinical
- Postgraduate experience, including work at Band 6 level within the speciality of respiratory and medicine
- Experience at Band 7 level within the speciality of Respiratory and Medicine
People Management and Development
- Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with physiotherapy and multidisciplinary teams
- Ability to give presentations to therapy colleagues and to audiences of mixed professional backgrounds
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Important information for applicants
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation. Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications.
Additional information: For help with the application process for Nursing vacancies, please email . For help with the application process for Non‑Nursing vacancies, please email .
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