Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity to appoint a senior occupational therapist to work across our vascular, orthopaedic & surgical wards.

You will be working alongside a knowledgeable team of MDT professionals. The role aims to empower patients' pre & post operatively & facilitate discharge. We welcome progressing band 5's to Band 6's looking to develop in these specialities.

The aim is to will provide an inpatient service driven by evidence based practice & enhanced recovery principles.

Vascular
The rehabilitation of all vascular patients within the acute hospital. This will include primary amputees & those with multiple limb loss.To be involved in patients entire inpatient journey from pre-assessment & to patients home assessments. Be responsible for wheelchair assessments & referrals.

Trauma & Orthopaedic
This includes preoperative assessments of total hip, knee replacements & complex elective cases like joint revisions. The team also works on the fractured neck of femur unit, which also covers a variety of trauma cases.

General Surgery
These wards include a caseload of colorectal, head & neck, urology & breast surgery patients. We also receive patients post critical care for rehabilitation.

The successful candidate will provide cover across the specialties as needed & support is provided to upskill as required. Opportunities include attendance at Tracheostomy study day, head injury management courses, spending time with our stoma team & colleagues the limb fitting centre.

Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will be responsible for managing their own caseload and supervising rotational band 5 occupational therapists, support staff, students and apprentices. There will also be opportunities to support the band 7 team in team management and staff training.Regular support and supervision for you will be available from the Band 7 Occupational Therapist & Physiotherapists within the specialty.

You will be required to work with other qualified and non-qualified staff to provide a seven day service including Bank Holidays, with a commitment of 1 in 4 weekends with days off in lieu. The service provides cover 8:00-20:00 Mon- Friday and 8:00-16:00 at weekends

This post will allow you to develop a wide range of clinical, managerial, organisational, teaching and supervision skills. You will play an active role in audits and service development. We offer a well-established supervision and appraisal structure. We encourage individual progression within the Band 6 role and have a firm commitment to in service training and CPD as well as supporting staff to attend relevant external courses and conferences.

The Luton and Dunstable Hospital Therapy Department are a friendly, forward thinking and innovative department with a well-established Clinical Governance programme and a focus on developing staff.

About us
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.

Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Job responsibilities
Please see job description and person specification provided. If further information is required, please speak to our contact on advert.

Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential

• Dip COT or BSc (Hons) in OT
• HCPC registration
• Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio including attendances at recent post graduate courses/ in-service trainings relevant to the speciality

Desirable

• Membership of BAOT/RCOT or similar
• Practice educators certificate

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working in an acute hospital environment
• Evidence of broad based postgraduate experience to include experience in orthopaedics or elderly care
• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Work experience, student or therapy assistant supervision

Desirable

• Experience of supervising junior staff or non-qualified
• Experience within the NHS
• Knowledge of working in liaison with community therapy services and intermediate care services

Skills
Essential

• Understand the legal responsibilites of the profession
• Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate appropriately
• Ability to comprehend and work within the Trust's policies of data protection, equal opportunities and health and safety and meet the differing needs of the patients

Desirable

• Awareness of wider local and national agendas and impact on OT

Communication
Essential

• Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills
• Ability to communicate where there may be barriers to understanding

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address
Luton and Dunstable Hospital
Lewsey Road
Luton
LU4 0DZ
United Kingdom

Employer's website
https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Therapy Service Manager
Nihar Shah
nihar.shah4@bedsft.nhs.uk
01582497350

Details
Date posted
21 August 2026

Pay scheme
Agenda for change

Band
Band 6

Salary
£39,959 to £48,117 a year
per annum

Contract
Permanent

Working pattern
Full-time,
Part-time,
Flexible working

Reference number
418-DTO8979-KA-B

Job locations
Luton and Dunstable Hospital
Lewsey Road
Luton
LU4 0DZ
United Kingdom

Supporting documents
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