Respiratory physiotherapist

Overview

To work as a respiratory physiotherapist and as part of an integrated respiratory team support the delivery of an expert service. To prioritise, assess, treat and manage own caseload of patients as an autonomous physiotherapist, including the maintenance of comprehensive records. To work across both acute and primary care providing seamless care to a group of identified patients seven days a week.

To support the integrated COPD, asthma, pulmonary rehabilitation and oxygen services. To ensure that patients and their families are fully informed and supported by providing clinical and social support. To establish clear lines of communication to ensure cohesive multidisciplinary of patients. To undertake evidence-based projects with a senior respiratory physiotherapist to further the clinical practice of self and to enhance patient care.

To assist in the delivery of the integrated respiratory service for people with complex and highly specialized needs in both hospital and community settings. To provide specialist respiratory advice and support to patients, their families and other healthcare professionals within the trust and community settings as required.

To receive referrals, undertake full assessment and independently plan individual specialized treatment programmes for patients appropriately depending on the physiotherapist's diagnosis, using clinical reasoning and specialist skills such as the use of patient education, exercise and advanced airway clearance techniques. To plan individual self-management programmes with patients with COPD and asthma. To use recognized outcome measures to evaluate the effect of physiotherapy interventions and ensure the treatment programmes are progressing appropriately.

To ensure continuity of a high standard of evidence based respiratory care, assessing health, health related and the needs of patients, their families and other carers by identifying and initiating appropriate steps for effective care. This can include: managing a patient caseload; ordering diagnostic tests; admitting and discharging patients for specified conditions and within agreed protocols; participating in clinics; advice on medicines and treatments.

To accept responsibility for the inpatient respiratory caseload, ensuring all parties have an accurate plan of care, which reflects the assessment undertaken and incorporates the issues and recommendations made ensuring clear documentation in the patient s records and hand held records. To arrange follow-up for patients as appropriate and ensure all relevant information is available to enable patients to make an informed choice about their treatment.

To deliver a seamless service through the development of enhanced multidisciplinary team (MDT) processes and communication to ensure continuity of care. To participate in the identification and development of clinical protocols and strategies to enhance both the continuity and standard of specialist respiratory care whilst ensuring equity of access in the service. To have in-depth understanding of spirometry and FeNO and be confident in the diagnosis of COPD and asthma.

To develop in depth knowledge of medication, its actions and contra-indications and be able to discuss changes where necessary with GPs or other referrers. Advise, guide and teach junior staff and students in the assessment and management of respiratory patients and other aspects of clinical practice. To ensure all care given in accordance with agreed protocols.

To work with key staff members to maintain health professional-led assessment; providing detailed baseline patient assessment, education, and support to patients and their families. To liaise with ward staff to ensure appropriate and timely discharge/follow up arrangement in place for patients. To work and participate in the delivery of pulmonary rehabilitation in the community and hospital sites. To work and participate in the delivery of patient care in the hospital under the integrated respiratory service as part of the duty rota.

To work with the MDT to develop, implement and evaluate integrated care pathways and systems of MDT documentation. To actively involve service users in providing feedback of their experience of the current service and suggestions for improvements.

King s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c £1.8 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King s College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.

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