Job summary
We currently have an exciting opportunity for a Physiotherapist to join our Band 5 Rotational post at Southmead Hospital Operating Unit

Our six-month rotations offer the opportunity to gain experience across a wide range of specialities, including Outpatients, Trauma & Orthopaedics, Older Persons Medicine, Specialist Medicine, Stroke, Neurosciences, Intensive Care, Respiratory Medicine, Vascular and Surgical services.

Southmead Hospital is a Major Trauma Centre with a 48-bedded Intensive Care Unit, providing an excellent environment to develop your clinical skills and experience.

We are committed to supporting your development. You will have access to senior physiotherapy support, structured training, regular Band 5 peer meetings, in-service training and continuing professional development. Newly qualified Physiotherapists will also benefit from our preceptorship programme.

Weekend working is currently on a 1:4 basis, with an associated non-working day. Once appropriately trained, there is an expectation to participate in the physiotherapy on-call rota. Elective Orthopaedics also operates an extended Monday-Friday service between 8am and 8pm.

We particularly encourage applications from newly qualified Physiotherapists and those who qualified within the previous year.

Please note: We expect a high volume of applications and may close this advert early. Interviews will be held in person and cannot be rearranged.

Main duties of the job
As a Band 5 Rotational Physiotherapist, you will work as part of a supportive multidisciplinary team, developing your clinical skills and confidence across a range of specialities.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Assessing, treating and managing your own patient caseload, with support and supervision from senior physiotherapists.
• Rotating through different clinical areas, with clear learning objectives to help you consolidate and build on your graduate skills and academic knowledge.
• Planning and prioritising your workload effectively and communicating with patients, colleagues and the wider multidisciplinary team.
• Developing your clinical reasoning, assessment and treatment skills across a broad range of patient groups.
• Working collaboratively to provide safe, effective and person-centred care.
• Supporting and, where appropriate, supervising Technical Instructors and Physiotherapy Students.
• Participating in shift, weekend and bank holiday working.
• Participating in the 24/7 respiratory on-call rota once appropriately trained.

This is an excellent opportunity to build a strong foundation for your physiotherapy career while gaining experience across a diverse range of acute clinical specialities.

About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Details
Date posted: 27 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 339-CCS5787-BAL
Job locations: Southmead Hospital, Southmead Road, Bristol, BS10 5NB, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Clinical
To provide a comprehensive assessment of patients and use clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate assessment of their condition.
To formulate and deliver individual treatment programmes based on evidence based practice using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of a range of treatment options.
To assess capacity for consent with all patients and whenever possible ensure that valid informed consent is agreed with the patient working within the legal framework. This will involve fully explaining the outcome of assessment, the options for treatment and the benefits of any procedure or treatment and then reaching agreed treatment goals and outcomes. Communication will frequently be to patients who have complex emotional, physical and psychological conditions e.g. deafness, dysphasia, depression, etc and will require expert use of a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools.
To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise a patients rehabilitation potential
To ensure that all treatment plans are regularly reviewed and revised as appropriate
To carry and prioritise your own clinical caseload and delegate tasks appropriately.
To be responsible for ensuring accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records are kept in line with the Trust, Physiotherapy and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) standards.
To ensure statistics are maintained according to departmental, Trust and CSP standards.
To complete necessary training and competency assessment to allow participation in the weekend and on call rota for acute respiratory patients. When working on the rota - to undertake the assessment and treatment of acutely ill patients with respiratory problems who may have a complex presentation, and inform other members of the MDT on progress.
To attend home visits with another member of staff as necessary.
To have professional and legal accountability , including the treatment of patients within your area in accordance with the CSP Core Standards of Physiotherapy Practice and the HCPC standards of proficiency, conduct , performance and ethics
To attend multi-disciplinary board rounds, case conferences, ward rounds etc. where appropriate to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service with physiotherapy treatment integrated into the patient pathway, and discharge planning.
To seek advice and support from senior staff where appropriate.
To be responsible for the safe and competent use of equipment, patient appliances and aids both by yourself, assistants and patients in your care.
To manage Clinical Risk in line within the Trust guidelines.

Professional
To be responsible for and actively participate in continuous professional development - developing knowledge and skills specific to each rotation.
To develop and maintain a portfolio of evidence to support knowledge and skills framework progression and HCPC requirements.
To take part in appraisal and be responsible for working to agreed planned objectives.
To take part in audit, research and development activity as required - this will include taking part in audit and surveys.
To maintain up to date knowledge of evidence based practice, local and national standards and use this to inform, measure and evaluate your work and current practice.
To undertake appraisal with Assistant / Technical Instructor staff within a rotation as appropriate, supported by a senior member of staff.
To actively participate in Team, Service and Directorate meetings and discussions regarding policy and service delivery/development.
To undertake all statutory and mandatory training as required by the Trust
To actively take part in in-service training and any training opportunities identified at appraisal
To assist in the delivery of training both within the service and to other health professional as appropriate.
To provide support, supervision and a learning environment to Therapy Technicians, and less experienced physiotherapists as required.
To teach relatives/ carers and other healthcare workers when required.
To assist in the supervision of undergraduate students when appropriate.

Organisational
To keep up-to-date and comply with Trust Procedures and Policies including Health & Safety, Fire Regulations, Infection control, Equal Opportunities etc
To maintain a high standard of confidentiality at all times.
To promote quality communications across the whole Health & Social Care Community
To deal with informal complaints in line with the Trust guidelines
To attend staff meetings and be a pro-active member of the department

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• HCPC Registration
• Degree

Desirable

• Post - Graduate Courses
• Clinical Educators Course
• Member of CSP

Experience
Essential

• Experience of a variety of rotations
• Experience of working in an MDT

Desirable

• Experience of working in an NHS environment
• Experience of participating in Audit and evidence based practice
• Research Experience
• Experience of managing limited resources and high workloads
• Evidence of actively participating in IST and MDT groups

Personal Qualities
Essential

• Self Motivated
• Demonstrates professional independence
• Available for on-call, weekend duties and altered working patterns

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
Essential

• Clinical reasoning and identify acts of adverse signs
• Autonomous Practicioner
• Comprehensive assessment and analysis
• Experience of treating complex patients
• Teamwork
• Demonstrates good reflective skills
• Good use of IT skills

Desirable

• Supervision of junior staff
• Service development including audit
• Awareness of clinical governance and implication to physio

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: Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Southmead Hospital, Southmead Road, Bristol, BS10 5NB, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
T&O Pathway Lead Physiotherapist
Kirsty Derrick
kirsty.derrick@nbt.nhs.uk

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.