Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust • Poole, Dorset BH15 2JB

Senior Physiotherapist - MSK | University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

About this role

At University Hospitals Dorset, we take pride in investing in the professional growth of our Band 6 Physiotherapists. This commitment to development has led to the recent promotions of several team members into Band 7 roles. Now, exciting opportunities have emerged for us to recruit talented individuals into the vacated Band 6 positions within our MSK Band 6 rotation, you will gain access to our comprehensive in-house training and development programme, paving the way for your own career advancement. There is opportunity to work across our two sites and with patients referred from orthopaedics, primary and secondary care as well as self-referral.

University Hospitals Dorset has been created following the merger of Poole, and Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Trusts. As a large NHS foundation trust, we can offer a wide range of rotations to develop your skills. Our close affiliation with two local Higher Education Institutions is mutually beneficial and offers great opportunities to advance your career and inspire the next generation of physiotherapists.

Our Christchurch site has recently benefited from a million-pound refurbishment, providing two spacious physiotherapy gyms and consulting rooms.

This role requires HCPC Registration.

Base Location

Christchurch or Poole Hospital

Interview Date

14th May 2026

Successful candidates will be responsible for the clinically reasoned assessment and evidence-based treatment of patients presenting with musculoskeletal pathology. As a Senior Physiotherapist you will be encouraged to develop your clinical skills and to participate in the supervision of junior staff, students and therapy technicians. We have a comprehensive in-service training program and a highly skilled and experienced senior workforce who can support your development.

UHD is a major trauma centre and currently undergoing a transformation process as our two trusts merge. As such there are excellent opportunities to develop your skills in this area. Our more senior clinicians are well established in the fracture clinic, elective clinics, FCP and ED. We encourage our staff to upskill wherever possible and are always looking out for motivated team members to step into enhanced roles.

Our rotations encompass

  • Spinal/upper and lower limb
  • Hand therapy
  • In house work at local GP surgeries
  • Hydrotherapy
  • Rehab classes

UHD are investing, developing and transforming Trust services in line with the New Hospital Programme. As part of this, some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or permanently. Recruiting Managers will be happy to answer any service-specific questions at interview.

If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.

UHD has active networks including Women’s, BAME, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes.

AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process.

For UHD employees, this fixed-term post will be offered as a secondment in line with the Trust’s Secondment Policy. Please speak with your line manager before applying.

Successful candidates will be responsible for the clinically reasoned assessment and evidence-based treatment of patients presenting with musculoskeletal pathology. As a Senior Physiotherapist you will be encouraged to develop your clinical skills and to participate in the supervision of junior staff, students and therapy technicians. We have a comprehensive in-service training program and a highly skilled and experienced senior workforce who can support your development.

UHD is a major trauma centre and currently undergoing a transformation process as our two trusts merge. As such there are excellent opportunities to develop your skills in this area. Our more senior clinicans are well established in the fracture clinic, elective clinics, FCP and ED. We encourage our staff to upskill wherever possible and are always looking out for motivated team members to step into enhanced roles.

Our rotations encompass

  • Spinal/upper and lower limb
  • Hand therapy
  • In house work at local GP surgeries
  • Hydrotherapy
  • Rehab classes

We recognise the growing preference of maintaining an interest in a variety of clinical areas and support flexibility in roles, we promote the importance of a good work life balance and will consider requests provided the core needs of the service are met.

We are open to applications from both aspirational and established clinicians who are team players and passionate about delivering quality, patient centred services. These roles are open to job share and part time applicants. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more or visit us in person.

This advert closes on Thursday 14 May 2026

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Disability Confident

About Disability Confident

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.