Specialist Musculoskeletal Practitioner | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust


Company:	Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Salary:	£49,387 - £56,515 per annum pro rata
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	St Helens, WA9 3DE
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	7 Oct 2026
Closing date:	6 Nov 2026

Apply for this job

Summary

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Musculoskeletal Service is looking for a Bank Band 7 Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist to join the team.

The MSK service has a well-structured programme of mentoring, supervision and CPD; the department is research-active and has close links with Higher Education Institutes. Active involvement in training and development, including supervision of students and delivery of staff training, is a key requirement.

Provide advanced assessment, diagnosis and management of complex musculoskeletal conditions, working with a high level of autonomy

Make high‑level clinical decisions, including requesting and interpreting diagnostic investigations and identifying when onward referral is required.

Deliver person‑centred care, supporting self‑management, goal setting and early intervention to improve outcomes and reduce reliance on medication.

Streamline musculoskeletal pathways to ensure patients access the right service at the right time, reducing pressure on GP services and secondary care.

Work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams across primary care and community services to coordinate patient care.

Provide specialist advice, clinical leadership and supervision to other physiotherapy staff and health professionals.

Contribute to service development, quality improvement, audit and research to support evidence‑based practice.

Fulfil education and training responsibilities, including supporting learners and less experienced staff.

Uphold Trust values, promote inclusive, safe care and maintain accurate clinical records in line with professional and organisational standards.

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ – care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We’re currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Duties and responsibilities:

Clinical

1. The post holder will deliver high level and complex clinical skills in the assessment, diagnosis and initial treatment of musculoskeletal conditions including patients with long-term conditions, co-morbidities and multi-factorial needs, working with a high level of autonomy.

2. Based on comprehensive assessment, to make high level clinical decisions on the most appropriate care pathway for patients referred to the service through use of specialist knowledge and liaison with other key professionals. This will be informed by the urgency and severity of patient need, patient acuity and dependency, and the most appropriate deployment of resources.

3. To take professional responsibility as a first contact physiotherapist, with high level decision making and clinical reasoning skills to assess, diagnose and triage patients

4. To streamline pathways of care by providing a responsive service so that patients receive timely access to care.

5. To involve patients in decision making and to support patients to set their own goals and be confident in their approach to self-management.

6. To provide care that is tailored to the individual needs. This would include, appraising the impact of individuals' clinical status on their general health, well-being, employment status (including in relation to function, physical activity, mobility and independence).

7. To demonstrate advanced understanding of the biopsychosocial model of patient care and implement this model in the early intervention phase for patients.

8. To work as a lone practitioner when required and be comfortable with own skills and knowledge.

9. To ensure care is proactive, preventative in focus and population based, with an emphasis on early intervention.

10. To communicate effectively and appropriately with patient’s complex and sensitive information regarding diagnosis, pathology and prognosis.

11. To request diagnostic tests including radiology and pathology following period of training.

12. To use a range of clinical skills which may include: a. Non-medical Independent prescribing.

13. To interpret clinical diagnosis and prognosis for patients with complex problems which may include the appropriate recommendation of intervention outside the scope of physiotherapy.

14. To use outcome measures as part of their clinical approach.

15. To provide learning opportunities for the multi professional team within primary care and act as a resource to other professions seeking guidance on the management of musculoskeletal conditions.

16. To exercise professional judgement and manage risk, making, justifying and taking responsibility for decisions in unpredictable situations, including in the context of incomplete or contradictory information.

17. To manage interactions in complex situations, including with individuals with particular psychosocial and mental health needs and with colleagues across the primary care team, sectors and settings.

18. To maintain accurate records.

19. To communicate effectively, using a variety of methods, with all service users, members of the team and those outside the service.

20. To operate as a member of the primary care team and musculoskeletal team, including contributing to leadership, service evaluation/improvement and research activity.

21. To manage and co-ordinate the care that individual patients receive, including through liaising with other members of the MDT and with patients' carers.

22. To contribute to primary care and musculoskeletal team activity, with a strong emphasis on prevention and early intervention, including through the delivery of public health advice (e.g. relating to physical activity, weight management and smoking cessation).

23. To contribute to the use of healthcare technologies to optimise the integration of service delivery (across teams, sectors and settings) and patients’ access and continuity of care.

24. To provide specialist musculoskeletal advice to less experienced physiotherapy staff and other health professionals involved in patient care.

25. To streamline pathways of care by providing a responsive service so that patients receive timely access to care.

26. To represent the physiotherapy service on relevant committees and meetings, as a lead physiotherapy clinician, provide input in relation to specialist issues and clinical matters as required.

27. To assist in the development and implementation of innovative practices that are evidence based and influence standards of care.

Please reference attached job description for full list of duties and responsibilities.

This advert closes on Wednesday 21 Oct 2026

Apply for this job