First Contact Physiotherapist

Posting date:	27 June 2025
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	Negotiable
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	25 July 2025
Location:	Holloway, N7 8EG
Company:	NHS Jobs
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	E0031-25-0030

Summary

Job Title: First Contact Physiotherapist Responsible to: South Islington PCN Place of Work: Within Islington Practices Hours: Full time 37.5 hours a week,Part part-time and job-share will also be considered and supported Duration:Permanent About Islington GP Federation Islington GP Federation (IGPF) is a growing organisation representing 31 practices; we have established ourselves as a leader in new ways of working, including running Islingtons extended access primary care services (I:HUB) as well as supporting the Islington Primary Care Networks -PCNs. Our current range of services include the Extended Access Service, I:HUB, Community Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Integrated Community Gynaecology, practice-based pharmacists and a range of practice support mechanisms. IGPF works very closely with a range of partners including the regional commissioning group, NHS England, Healthy London Partnership, Public Health, local hospitals such as UCLH, the Whittington Health and the London Borough of Islington. IGPF is the host organisation for the Primary Care Network-PCN workforce and the Islington Training Hub, and has been working for over two years to create training and development programmes that meet the needs of staff working in primary and community care settings. IGPF runs two Islington GP practices on caretaking contracts; a third practice will be taken on within this financial quarter. About South Islington PCN The South Islington Primary Care Network- PCN is a group of 7 independent GP practices in the South of Islington, covering a population of around 75,000 residents. The PCN is brought together by NHS Englands PCN DES contract to deliver against its specifications and other tasks. The PCN works with multiple stakeholders as part of the South Locality, a multi-agency group focused on identifying population health needs and identifying streams of work to support these. This is part of Islingtons Fairer Together borough partnership. The population within the PCN geography is diverse, often with significant and complex health and wellbeing needs. There is an exciting opportunity for enthusiastic and motivated individuals to support the co-ordination of this care and working closely with people to support them to achieve improved health outcomes and a better quality of life. As this is a new role and the guidance around PCNs is constantly changing, there is a need for the post holder to be flexible and adaptable in this evolving environment. As a consequence, the post will be subject to ongoing review and inevitable iteration the post holder may be required to work at other sites as dictated by the needs of the service, and will help inform how roles like these can be effectively used to support patient care. Job Purpose Provide clinical expertise, acting as a First-Contact Physiotherapist and making decisions about the best course of action for patients' care (including in relation to undifferentiated conditions. This will involve seeing patients, without prior contact with their GP, in order to establish a rapid and accurate diagnosis and management plan. To act as a clinical role model providing leadership and support to a team of clinical staff delivering care at GP surgeries across the South Islington PCN Reduce local health inequalities Enable patient access to MSK Physiotherapy at the start of the pathway, ensuring timely access to diagnosis, early management and onward referral if necessary Support patients to stay well and make informed decisions and choices through shared decision making when their health changes Empower patients to build knowledge, skills and confidence to live well with their health conditions Job Role To apply, you should be a fully HCPC and CSP registered physiotherapist with at least 5 years post-graduate experience, including 3 years of relevant MSK clinical experience in line with HEE's Roadmap to Practice. You should be a confident MSK practitioner and communicator who thrives from engaging with a variety of colleagues internally and within the GP practice multidisciplinary teams you are integrated into. The successful candidate will play a key role in proactively working with people, who would need support around MSK-related conditions and to provide coordination and navigation of care and support across health and care services. They will work closely with GPs and practice teams, making sure that appropriate support is made available to people; supporting them to understand and manage their condition and ensuring their changing needs are addressed. They will enable people to access the services and support they require to meet their health and wellbeing needs, helping to improve peoples quality of life. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to: Work within primary care, seeing patients directly from reception booking ad triage. Assess, diagnose, triage, and manage patients, taking responsibility for the management of a complex caseload. Where required refer patients to other health professionals within the PCN Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient facing role, using their expert knowledge of movement and function issues, to create stronger links for wider services through clinical leadership, teaching and evaluation Develop integrated and tailored care programmes in partnership with patients, providing a range of first line treatment options including self-management, referral to rehabilitation focussed services and social prescribing Make use of their full scope of practice, developing skills relating to independent prescribing, injection therapy and investigation to make professional judgements and decisions in unpredictable situations, including when provided with incomplete or contradictory information. Manage complex interactions, including working with patients with psychosocial and mental health needs, referring onwards as required and including social prescribing when appropriate Communicate effectively with patients, and their carers where applicable, complex and sensitive information regarding diagnoses, pathology, prognosis and treatment choices supporting personalised care Implement all aspects of effective clinical governance for own practice, including undertaking regular audit and evaluation, supervision and training Develop integrated and tailored care programmes in partnership with patients through: - Effective shared decision-making - Assessing levels of Patient Activation to support their own level of knowledge - Designing and implementing plans that facilitate behavioural change Request and progress investigations such as x-rays and blood tests and referrals to facilitate the diagnosis and choice of treatment regime including, considering the limitations of these investigations, interpret and act on results and feedback to aid patients diagnoses and management plans Be accountable for decisions and actions via Health and Care Professions Council -HCPC registration, supported by a professional culture of peer networking/review and engagement in evidence-based practice. Provide feedback and support to other PCN clinical team members on appropriate referral criteria. Confidentiality: In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the Federation as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential. Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Federation may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Federation policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data. Health & Safety: The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Federations Health & Safety Policy, to include: Using personal security systems within the workplace according to IGPF guidelines Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills Equality and Diversity: The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include: Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Federation and organisational procedures and policies, and current legislation Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.