Job summaryWe are seeking an experienced Physiotherapist with a passion for providing high quality, patient-centred care for the medical and frail patient cohort in the acute hospital setting, to join our Medical Rehabilitation Therapy team.
They will primarily provide clinical and leadership support to the Medical Rehabilitation Therapy team on the discharge ready unit (DRU) and play a vital role in supporting patient flow and timely discharges. They will also support across the team's medical, care of elderly & frailty wards as required. The post holder will be expected to help other therapy teams as, and when required.
The ideal candidate will have a broad range of clinical experience in core areas including acute inpatient wards, critical care or respiratory, neurology and orthopaedics. Additionally they should have some experience of leadership- either through previous experience of supervising junior staff or students and being involved in service development projects.
As part of the role, the post holder will be expected to undertake respiratory on-call shifts and work as part of the weekend rota (which may include cover between the respiratory, orthopaedic and ED and Acute Medicine weekend rotas. This also includes Bank Holiday cover).
Main duties of the jobThe post holder will manage a clinical caseload on our medical and frailty wards and discharge ready unit wards whilst also providing direct line management to junior Physiotherapists and Therapy Assistants. They will also be expected to take on students and share their expertise with the wider multi-disciplinary team as part of the in-service training rota. They will be expected to support rehabilitation of patients, prevent deconditioning of patients, as well as be involved in discharge planning of patients.
Additionally, the post holder will work alongside their Occupational Therapist colleagues to support the service and staff development across the acute medical therapy service.
As part of the role, the post holder will be expected to undertake respiratory on-call shifts and work in the respiratory and orthopaedic weekend rota (which includes Bank Holiday cover).
About usChelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites--Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital--along with award-winning clinics across North West London.
Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5 million, providing full clinical services, including maternity, A&E, and children's services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health clinics. The Care Quality Commission rates us 'Good' in safety, effectiveness, care, and responsiveness, and 'Outstanding' in leadership and resource use.
We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and Westminster and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Middlesex.
We welcome applications for flexible working arrangements, accommodating requests where possible to support our staff and patient needs.
The Trust is committed to equality and welcomes applications from all, regardless of background. Adjustments can be made for disabled candidates. Early application is advised as vacancies may close once sufficient applications are received. If you haven't heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, your application was likely unsuccessful. Employment is subject to a six-month probationary period.
Some roles may require weekend shifts at multiple sites.DetailsDate posted: 07 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £47,951 to £56,863 a year
per annum incl HCAS
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 289-CS-489-A
Job locations: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
369 Fulham Road
Chelsea, London
SW10 9NH
United Kingdom
Job responsibilitiesPlease see attached Job Description for detailed information about the role. Further information about the trust can be found on our website at www.chelwest.nhs.uk
Person SpecificationTrust ValuesEssential- Trust Values demonstrated
Education and QualificationsEssential- BSc / Masters Physiotherapy or Diploma in Physiotherapy
- HCPC Registration
- Evidence of ongoing CPD since qualification
Desirable- CSP Registration
- Member of relevant clinical interest group
ExperienceEssential- Experience as a qualified Physiotherapist in an acute inpatient hospital setting
- Evidence of broad range of clinical experience as a qualified Physiotherapist in acute general medicine, specialist medicine, care of the elderly & frailty, trauma & orthopaedics, respiratory & ITU, neurology/stroke, ED
- Evidence of appraisal, clinical and professional supervision and teaching of therapy staff including therapy assistants and students
- Experience of working in an out-of-hours/weekend service
- Evidence of active participation in an in-service training rota and quality improvement projects
- Evidence of MDT working
Desirable- Experience working in the NHS for a minimum of 1 year as a qualified Physiotherapist
- Previous Band 6 experience in a relevant post
- Experience of supervision of Band 5 Physiotherapists
- Clinical Educator/Supervisor training
Skills and KnowledgeEssential- Demonstrates good theoretical and practical knowledge of respiratory, orthopaedic, neurological and chronic medical conditions including treatment and discharge plans
- Advanced clinical reasoning skills within older adults & frailty
- Demonstrate a good understanding of the challenges of working in varying hospital settings and demonstrate the ability to adapt own practice accordingly
- Demonstrates effective and professional communication strategies with patients, carers and members of the MDT and the ability to modify appropriately
- Evidence of prioritisation and ability to manage a caseload and delegate to junior therapy colleagues
- Evidence of the ability to use reflective practice as a tool for learning and development
- Special interest in service improvement role within frailty and older adults
- Able to clinically reason a range of appropriate assessment and treatment techniques in a variety of clinical settings
Desirable- Demonstrates awareness of national and local policies related to clinical practice
- Understands National Health Plans and their implications
- Demonstrates the ability to guide and direct junior therapy colleagues and students in clinical practice
Personal QualitiesEssential- Demonstrates commitment to self-development and taking on feedback
- Demonstrates ability to adapt to a changing environment and cope with stressful and challenging situations
- Adequate computer skills including knowledge of Word processing, Excel spreadsheets, presentation packages and the internet
- Ability to carry out broad range of physical demands within the work remit
- Ability to work out-of-hours as required (this includes weekends and respiratory on-calls)
- Ability to communicate well with colleagues and follow the structure of the team
Desirable- Ability to manage work/life balance
Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.
UK RegistrationApplicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer detailsEmployer name: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, Chelsea, London, SW10 9NH, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.chelwest.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
Employer contact detailsFor questions about the job, contact:Clinical Lead Therapist
Olivia Knutton
olivia.knutton@nhs.net
07919468844
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.Applicants must have current UK professional registration. 
