Head of Therapy & Dietetics | Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Posting date:	28 May 2025
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	£74,290 - £85,601 Per annum
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	27 June 2025
Location:	Milton Keynes, MK6 5LD
Company:	Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	7241540/430-CC25-132A

Summary

Head of Therapy & Dietetics

Department: Physiotherapy & Dietetics

Band 8C £74,290 - £85,601 Per annum

Hours: 37.5 per week, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working

Are you ready to revolutionise healthcare? Do you thrive on driving change, inspiring teams, and making a lasting impact? We’re looking for a bold, forward-thinking leader to take our Physiotherapy and Dietetics services to new heights!

As our Head of Therapy & Dietetics, you won’t just oversee services—you’ll shape their future. Leading a talented multidisciplinary team, you’ll champion innovation, improve patient care, and bring fresh ideas that challenge the status quo.

Who You Are:
• A strategic thinker with a proven track record in NHS leadership.
• A visionary ready to challenge conventional ways of working.
• A collaborative force, bringing teams together to deliver excellence.
• A passionate advocate for patient-centered innovation.
• A motivator who drives change, impact, and results.

Why Join Us?
Make a difference—lead services that truly improve lives.
Shape the future—drive real, meaningful healthcare transformation.
Support & development—grow your leadership skills in a forward-thinking NHS trust.

Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, and Dietitians that are ready to make waves in healthcare, lead with confidence, and inspire real change—we want to hear from you!

Interview date 24 June 2025

What You’ll Do:
• Lead with purpose—empowering physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech & language specialists, and dietitians.
• Innovate services that transform patient recovery, wellbeing, and independence.
• Collaborate with NHS leaders to craft strategies that make a real difference.
• Inspire teams to think bigger, work smarter, and drive excellence.
• Deliver outstanding care through evidence-based, patient-centred approaches.

• Be responsible for the operational management and strategic planning of the trust wide Therapy Service, in terms of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dietetics, Speech and Language and Orthotics.

• Lead by example and display a leadership style that demonstrates trust values, empowers staff and develops and nurtures development at all levels.

• Work with the Divisional triumvirate and Service Leads to develop and implement strategic plans for an integrated service.

• Work with the Therapies Inpatient lead and site management to support patient flow and discharge processes.

• Lead the Therapy Leadership team to work collaboratively to deliver an integrated Therapy service, ensuring sustainable outcomes and meeting Divisional/Trust objectives

'We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute'

MKUH staff scored highest for ‘I look forward to coming to work’ (NHS Staff Survey 2023).

You can expect a warm welcome at Milton Keynes University Hospital, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At MKUH we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:
• Free on-site parking
• Free refreshments
• Great flexible working opportunities
• Discounted gym membership
• Lease car scheme
• Generous annual leave and pension scheme
• On site nursery (chargeable)
• Extensive staff health and well-being programme

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital; we conduct research and teaching on site to improve the care of our patients. The hospital is undergoing significant investment, and we are proud to be rated good by the CQC. Visit our website to catch up on our latest news.

• To ensure interprofessional leadership for the service and staff to deliver a quality service to patients.

• To be the lead for clinical governance ensuring a safe and effective service for patients and staff.

• To lead service development and innovation responding to National agenda, Trust, ICB and professional drivers.
Collaborate and support the Trust AHP lead with service improvements and the AHP profile.

Management & Leadership
• To undertake the strategic planning, service planning and overall management of the trust wide Therapy & Dietetic Services, ensuring that levels of service are met within agreed resources and standards.

• To establish links and communication across divisions and service lines.

Financial & Information Management
• Budget responsibility for all Therapy & Dietetic service budgets, ensuring that resources are used effectively and efficiently, and annual efficiency savings are delivered.

• To identify sources of funding or opportunities and create and implement business plans to meet service needs and developments.

Quality/Clinical Governance
• To be accountable for all aspects of clinical governance in the service, reporting back to the division as required.

• To develop the service’s annual therapy strategy, quality programme and audit plan, ensuring time scales are met and findings acted upon.

Workforce Development
• To ensure that staff are competent to deliver a safe and effective service by providing a framework for induction, training and staff development.

• To ensure that an annual strategic learning needs analysis is completed to reflect both the future needs of the service and personal development needs, using appropriate information systems to capture findings and plans, both for the department and for individual staff.

Communication and Working Relationships

• The post-holder will communicate with a wide range of staff across the Trust and beyond and with senior officials of external organisations.

• Excellent communication skills are required to persuade others of complex business cases and negotiate the implementation of change. The rapid assimilation of information is required to provide an opinion/judgement during meetings.

Equality and Diversity

• Act in a way that promotes equality and diversity in relation to Trust policy and procedure and legislation.

• To ensure that equality and diversity issues are recognised, addressed in accordance with legislation, policies and procedures.

Please refer to Job Description for further details



We believe success lies in the diversity of our employees and are committed to promoting equality, encouraging diversity and embracing inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us.

MKUH is committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and as such we offer a range of flexible working practices.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.

By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.

Upon commencing employment with the Trust, all employees (except Medical & Dental Staff on national terms and conditions) are subject to a probationary period lasting a period of six months with an option to extend for a further six months to a total of 12 months.


This advert closes on Wednesday 11 Jun 2025