PHYSIOTHERAPIST

As a physiotherapist you'll help patients with physical difficulties resulting from illness, injury, disability or ageing to improve their movement. You'll devise and review treatment programmes using manual therapy (such as massage), therapeutic exercise and electrotherapy.

As well as treating patients, you'll also promote their health and wellbeing and provide advice on how to avoid injury and self-manage long-term conditions.

Patients can include children, the elderly, stroke patients and people with sports injuries.

Responsibilities

As a physiotherapist, you'll need to:

• work with patients who have a range of conditions, including neurological, neuromusculoskeletal, cardiovascular and respiratory, sometimes over a period of weeks
• diagnose, assess and treat their physical problem/condition
• develop and review treatment programmes that encourage exercise and movement by the use of a range of techniques
• involve parents and carers in the treatment, review and rehabilitation of patients
• educate patients and their carers about how to prevent and/or improve conditions
• write patient case notes and reports and collect statistics
• liaise with other healthcare professionals, such as GPs, occupational therapists and social workers, to exchange information about the background and progress of patients, as well as to refer patients who require other medical attention
• keep up to date with new techniques and technologies available for treating patients
• supervise student and junior physiotherapists and physiotherapy support workers
• be legally responsible and accountable
• be caring, compassionate and professional at all times
• manage clinical risk.

Salary

• Jobs in the NHS consist of nine pay bands and are usually covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay rates. Starting salaries for qualified physiotherapists (Band 5) range from £23,023 to £29,608. Senior physiotherapists can earn between £28,050 and £36,644 (Band 6).
• As a clinical specialist/team leader, you can earn between £33,222 and £43,041 (Band 7).
• Salaries for advanced practice, extended scope or clinical lead physiotherapists range from £42,414 to £49,969 (Band 8a).
• Salaries rise to in excess of £60,000 (Band 8c) for management roles such as head of service.

Those working in London and the surrounding areas may receive a high-cost area supplement of between 5% and 20% of their basic salary.

Salaries and conditions of work in the private sector may vary from those in the NHS.

Income figures are intended as a guide only. Check AfC pay rates for the most up-to-date NHS salary details.

Working hours

Physiotherapists typically work 37.5 hours a week, which may include evenings, nights and weekends. As a sports physiotherapist you're likely to work at the weekend, and in private practice your hours will reflect the needs of your clients.

Locum and part-time work opportunities are also available.

What to expect

• The work may be physically demanding, with busy caseloads. Although patients' problems may be complex, physiotherapy is a very rewarding job.
• As a physiotherapist, you're under contractual obligation to maintain patient confidentiality.
• If employed by the NHS, you may be based in hospitals, health centres, clinics or GP surgeries. Physiotherapists working in the community may need to visit patients in their own home. You may have to travel between appointments if working in the community.
• Self-employment and private practice work is possible.
• There may be opportunities to work abroad to further your experience. Do your research and check whether registration is in operation in the country you want to work in.