Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist

The closing date is 24 November 2026

Job summary
Are you looking to specialise in Orthopaedics, Surgery and Medicine? Are you an experienced Band 6 looking for a promotion? Or an established Band 7 wanting to join a vibrant and dynamic team?

A new & exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic & motivated Occupational Therapist (OT) to join our dedicated department. We are passionate about patient centred care, support our clinicians to lead & deliver excellent & compassionate services, & value our clinical teams as the real heart of the NHS.

This position is for a Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist within our well-established Orthopaedic & Surgical team, working with patients who have an orthopaedic injury or general surgical intervention. The team also support one of our medical wards. The team covers all aspects of care for patients with a variety of co-morbidities, social & environmental challenges. The OT will support individuals to achieve their goals in self-care, productivity & leisure through assessment on the ward, onward referral & discharge.

We pride ourselves on being a forward thinking department and it is expected that you will be integral to our department and team service development.

Our services cover 7 days per week & the post holder will be expected to work regular weekends & bank holidays. Use of own car for business use is essential.

Main duties of the job
As a Band 7 Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist you will work within a highly respected Occupational Therapy team comprising of support workers, junior OTs, apprentices, rotational specialist OT, and highly specialist Occupational Therapists under the lead of experienced Team Lead OTs. The team work closely with the wider Multi-Disciplinary Team and have an excellent, well respected working relationship with Doctors, Nurses, Physios, Social Care Team and Case Managers. Our team are always looking to enhance their service in line with national guidance to provide an enhanced service to our local population.

As a Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist, you will be expected to deliver expert assessment and interventions, manage complex clinical needs, have excellent communication skills in order to maximise the patients independence and facilitate safe, timely discharge

Working as a valued member of the wider Multi-Disciplinary Team your role will include assessment and treatment of patients, prevention and treatment of de-conditioning, facilitation of timely and effective patient discharge, and on-going referrals to other agencies. You will also take on the responsibility of supervising Band 5s and 6s. As the opportunity arises, you will be expected to take on the supervision and education of Occupational Therapy Students on placement.

About us
Royal Surrey is a compassionate and collaborative acute and community Trust. Recognising that our 5,000 colleagues are our greatest strength, we offer a comprehensive health and wellbeing programme alongside a strong commitment to developing your career. Our diverse and welcoming Royal Surrey family ensures you feel valued from your initial interview and throughout your time with us.

We are clinically led and provide joined-up care by bridging hospital and community services, alongside delivering regional specialist cancer care. Our main acute hospital site is in Guildford, with community sites at Milford, Haslemere and Cranleigh, and services delivered in patients' homes across Guildford and Waverley.

We work in partnership with Ashford & St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust through a collaborative Group Model, supporting joined-up services, workforce flexibility and development opportunities.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated us as Outstanding. We are proud of our achievements and continue to invest in our people and infrastructure.

To learn more about life at Royal Surrey, please watch our short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R96pMboIYdo

Adverts may close early, so you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Details
Date posted: 10 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £51,657 to £58,785 a year (per annum) including High Cost Area Supplement (HCAS)
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 384-JH-EMF21610-B7
Job locations: Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Guildford, GU2 7XX, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
The post holder will be responsible for providing specialist knowledge to the Occupational Therapy team within the specialty Unit, ensuring the continuing development of the service reporting progress for clinical governance and audit purposes The post holder will work within the MDT to assist in the planning of complex discharges. The post holder is responsible for the supervision and management of Junior and senior Occupational Therapy staff. The post holder will work with wider services to develop new pathways and ways of working to enhance the patient experience.
Identifies the Occupational therapy role and develops a service within a Specialist Multi-disciplinary team for patients with conditions associated with specialty. To use highly specialist Occupational Therapy knowledge and skills to manage a complex caseload of patients, with regard to the physical, emotional, social, spiritual and psychosocial aspects of their care. The post holder will act as an autonomous practitioner and as a source of expertise in the OT assessment, treatment and management of this client group; providing advice to patients, carers, other health and social care professionals, consultants, GPs and fellow OTs. The post holder will incorporate national guidance, and the use of evidence based research into their practice and that of the service.
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification to understand more about the opportunity this role presents you.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy by recognised awarding body College of Occupational Therapists.
• Educated to masters level/ degree level/NVQ/ Certificate OR equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level/supervisor/ in specialist area.
• Satisfies the criteria for full Membership of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Must be a State Registered Occupational Therapist.

Further qualifications/Study

• Member of the appropriate special interest group.

Desirable

• An approved Occupational Therapy supervisor for OT degree students

Knowledge
Essential

• Completed all core Junior rotations
• Extensive experience within specialty in an acute NHS Trust,/ Community Trust , at a Senior Level.
• Evidence to support knowledge base in specialist area
• Evidence of post registration education and continuous professional development
• Specialist clinical skills in specialty area
• Knowledge of systems used for data recording and reporting
• Experience of audit, research and evidence based practice

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: Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Guildford, GU2 7XX, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.royalsurrey.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Head of Occupational Therapy, Suzanne Ward, suzanneward@nhs.net

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