An exciting opportunity has arisen for a skilled, motivated and experienced Band 7 Occupational Therapist to join the Trauma and Orthopaedic Therapy Team at Aintree University Hospital, part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group. This post is a key Band 7 Occupational Therapy Team Lead role within the Trauma and Orthopaedic service, supporting three inpatient orthopaedic wards and providing senior OT leadership across a complex, fast‑paced acute pathway. The role is central to maintaining a specialist occupational therapy service within orthopaedics, ensuring patients receive high‑quality assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and discharge planning from a profession‑specific senior clinician.
The successful candidate will provide senior clinical expertise in the management of patients with complex trauma and orthopaedic presentations, including cognitive assessment, equipment provision, seating and wheelchair prescription, upper limb rehabilitation, specialist splinting, mental capacity assessment, discharge risk management and multi‑agency coordination. The post holder will work closely with physiotherapy colleagues, nursing teams, orthopaedic and orthogeriatric medical staff, discharge teams, social care and community services to support timely, safe and effective patient flow.
The post holder will provide clinical oversight, professional supervision, governance support, workforce development and day‑to‑day operational leadership for the occupational therapy team within Trauma and Orthopaedics. They will be expected to demonstrate strong clinical reasoning, excellent communication skills, effective caseload prioritisation and the ability to support staff working with complex discharge, rehabilitation and risk decisions.
Occupational Therapy is a core component of the orthopaedic pathway and contributes to the delivery of key standards, including timely assessment, rehabilitation, cognitive screening and 4AT delirium assessment as part of the Orthopaedic Best Practice Tariff requirements. The Band 7 Occupational Therapist will provide the leadership and assurance needed to support consistent delivery of these standards and maintain an appropriate multidisciplinary skill mix across the service.
You must have a strong acute clinical background and demonstrable post‑registration experience relevant to trauma, orthopaedics, complex discharge planning, cognitive assessment, rehabilitation and occupational therapy leadership. Experience of supervising staff, supporting students, contributing to service development and working collaboratively across multidisciplinary and multi‑agency pathways is essential.
Responsibilities
- Lead the Occupational Therapy provision across three inpatient orthopaedic wards, ensuring effective prioritisation, caseload management and safe service delivery.
- Provide specialist OT input for complex discharge planning, cognitive assessment, equipment provision, seating and wheelchair prescription, upper limb rehabilitation and splinting.
- Undertake and support mental capacity assessments, best interest decision‑making and risk management in relation to discharge and rehabilitation planning.
- Support achievement of relevant orthopaedic standards, including timely therapy assessment, rehabilitation, cognitive screening and 4AT delirium assessment.
- Work closely with Band 7 Physiotherapy colleagues and the wider MDT to provide coordinated therapy leadership across the orthopaedic pathway.
- Provide supervision, appraisal, training and professional support to Band 6 and Band 5 Occupational Therapists, therapy assistants, students, work experience students and healthcare cadets.
- Contribute to governance, audit, service development, incident learning, quality improvement and workforce development within the Trauma and Orthopaedic Therapy Team.
- Represent Occupational Therapy within board rounds, MDT meetings, discharge planning discussions, service improvement workstreams and relevant governance forums.
- Work flexibly as part of an extended working day and 7‑day service model, supporting safe and responsive therapy provision across the orthopaedic wards.
#J-18808-Ljbffr…