Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Specialist Occupational Therapist
The closing date is 20 November 2026

Job summary
Burns & Plastics Specialist Occupational Therapist- Burns & Plastics
Band 6 - Full time (Maternity leave cover until December 2027)
£37,339 - £44,962 per annum, pro rata
VAC: 409-8298484

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Mersey Regional Burns, Plastics and Reconstructive Therapy Team based at Whiston Hospital as a Band 6 Occupational Therapist.

The ideal candidate will have a keen interest in burns and plastic surgery and will work in one of the largest units in the UK.

The JD & PS are currently under AfC review and are subject to change.

Please note- it is the applicant's responsibility to seek authorisation from their current manager to be released for the secondment before a formal application is made

Main duties of the job
Our therapy team consists of Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Therapy Assistant and Pressure Garment Technicians who continuously strive to provide high-quality person-centred care.

This is a dynamic service that encompasses therapy provision across seven days in which you will play a key role. There will be opportunity to work with inpatients, outpatients and therapy led clinics. This is a rotational role across both clinical areas with the expectation that you will advance your knowledge and skills within the speciality.

As a regional centre we are responsible for the therapy management and rehabilitation of complex, challenging cases and are an integral part of a large multidisciplinary team. You will be an Occupational Therapist who is motivated, enthusiastic and able to demonstrate specialist clinical, interpersonal, communication, organisational, time management and clinical reasoning skills to provide bespoke patient care. You will have the ability to work independently and as a core member of the MDT.

About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

Our services:

• Acute Care: Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
• Primary Care: Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
• Community Services: Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
• Specialist Regional Services: We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme.

Details
Date posted: 10 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 12 months
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 409-8298484-A
Job locations: Whiston Hospital, Warrington Road, Prescot, L35 5DR, United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities
There is a well-established in-service training programme, and you will be expected to participate in this. You will assist with the development of junior staff and students, completing supervision and appraisals as required. You will actively seek opportunities to support the development of the service.

Our philosophy is to keep the patient at the heart of everything we do. We look for people who are willing to go the extra mile, not because they are asked to, but because they are committed to being part of a healthcare team that delivers an excellent caring service to our patients.

If you are highly motivated, proactive and passionate about delivering high-quality care, would relish the opportunity to join a dynamic, innovative and supportive team and are interested in finding out more about the role, we would love to hear from you.

Due to the highly specialised nature of Burns and Plastics, it is recognised that additional training may be required.

Person Specification
Our Values

• Essential: We are Kind, We are Open, We are Inclusive

Qualifications

• Essential: Degree in Occupational Therapist; HCPC registration
• Desirable: Clinical Educators Certificate; Post Grad accredited study e.g. MSc in relevant health studies

Experience

• Essential: Advanced clinical knowledge relevant to the care environment and evidence of evidence-based practise in relevant health setting; Awareness of own strengths and limitations; Knowledge of relevant national policies and guidance and relevant assessment tools; Experience of line managing a team including setting objectives, conducting appraisals and effective delegation and co-ordination; Evidence of effective working within an MDT; Experience of Service development; Demonstrate experience of problem-solving approaches; Demonstrates continuous Professional Development
• Desirable: Audit and research in a clinical area

Skills

• Essential: Demonstrates ability to motivate team performance to achieve objectives; Ability to prioritise and work to deadlines; Ability to communicate effectively in a variety of settings; Accurate record keeping, report writing and IT skills including presentation skills; Have a flexible approach to working with good time management
• Desirable: Mentorship skills

Other

• Essential: Ability to travel various hospital locations by own car/ assisted driver

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.

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Address: Whiston Hospital, Warrington Road, Prescot, L35 5DR, United Kingdom
Employer's website: Apply via the company portal

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Team Lead Burns and Plastics therapy team, Vikki Engel, Apply via the company portal, 01514301057

Supporting documents
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