Allied Health Professionals
Introduction to Allied Health Professionals
Allied Health Professionals play an integral role in supporting our patients from admission, throughout their hospital stay and long after discharge. The high-quality care that patients receive, not only medically but therapeutically would not be possible without the excellent multidisciplinary approach that Allied Health Professionals provide at North Bristol NHS Trust.
Roles include:
- Radiographer
- Occupational Therapist
- Physiotherapist
- Dietition
- Speech and Language Therapist
- Operating Department Practitioner
- Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Speech and Language Support Worker
Our clinical teams provide outstanding patient care over a wide range of specialties in our five clinical divisions:
- Medicine Division– specialties include Cardiology, Respiratory, Acute Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Gastroenterology, Haematology, Complex Care, Elgar Enablement Unit, Complex Assessment Unit.
- Anaesthesia, Surgery, Critical Care and Renal Division – specialties include Intensive Care, Renal and Haemodialysis, Surgical Admission – Surgical Assessment Unit, Vascular, Burns and Plastics, General Surgery, Theatres and Medirooms.
- Neurosciences and Musculoskeletal Division– Stroke, Neurosurgery, Spines, Pain, Elective Orthopaedics, Trauma, Neurology, Rheumatology, Neuropsychiatry, Neurophysiology, Bristol Centre for Enablement (including prosthetics and orthotics), Neuropathology, Bristol Speech and Language Therapy.
- Women and Children’s Health Division – Neonatal Intensive Care and Gynaecology.
- Core Clinical Services Division – Outpatients, Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Pathology, Pharmacy, Therapies.
What AHP specialties could I work in?
Our clinical teams provide outstanding patient care over a wide range of specialties in our five clinical divisions:
- Medicine Division – specialties include Cardiology, Respiratory, Acute Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Gastroenterology, Haematology, Complex Care, Elgar Enablement Unit, Complex Assessment Unit.
- Anaesthesia, Surgery, Critical Care and Renal Division – specialties include Intensive Care, Renal and Haemodialysis, Surgical Admission – Surgical Assessment Unit, Vascular, Burns and Plastics, General Surgery, Theatres and Medirooms.
- Neurosciences and Musculoskeletal Division – Stroke, Neurosurgery, Spines, Pain, Elective Orthopaedics, Trauma, Neurology, Rheumatology, Neuropsychiatry, Neurophysiology, Bristol Centre for Enablement (including prosthetics and orthotics), Neuropathology, Bristol Speech and Language Therapy.
- Women and Children’s Health Division – Neonatal Intensive Care and Gynaecology
- Core Clinical Services Division – Outpatients, Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Pathology, Pharmacy, Therapies.
Allied Health Professionals opportunities
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy
×Occupational therapy helps people of all ages overcome challenges completing everyday tasks or activities – what we call occupations.
We are a large, diverse team working within most inpatient specialties and we also provide a small outpatient service.
We can offer rotational opportunities and a comprehensive preceptorship programme for newly registered practitioners.
Occupational Therapy Support Workers
Our Occupational Therapy Support Workers assist in the provision of therapeutic interventions under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist.
Opportunities within our Occupational Therapy Service are advertised under ‘Allied Health Professionals’ in our current vacancies at the bottom of this page.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy
×Our Physiotherapists work as key members in our multidisciplinary team to provide the best care for our patients.
They support our patients to regain their mobility, function and confidence following surgery/illness, providing a range of therapy interventions to facilitate recovery and independence.
We can offer our physiotherapists a rotational programme, which consists of six monthly rotations across a variety of specialities, including complex care, neurosciences, intensive care, orthopaedics, burns and plastics and MusculoSkeletal outpatients. All rotations are based on the Southmead Hospital site and predominantly in our state-of-the-art Brunel building.
We have a well-established mentor programme and comprehensive preceptorship programme for newly qualifying practitioners. We also offer progression pathways for experienced Physiotherapists to move into specialist roles.
Physiotherapy Support Workers
Our Physiotherapy Support Workers are integral members of our team, supporting therapists to provide a range of skilled therapy tasks, including organising and implementing physical treatment sessions from treatment protocols, monitoring patient progress and working with patients towards their recovery and discharge.
Opportunities within our Physiotherapy Service are advertised under ‘Allied Health Professionals’ in our current vacancies.
Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and Language Therapy
×Our Speech and Language Therapy Department maintains a high profile across inpatient and outpatient services. We have a team of around 35 Speech and Language Therapists who promote excellent care of patients with swallowing and communication difficulties throughout the patient journey. We work as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team across key pathways of stroke, neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, neurology, medicine, critical care and outpatients.
We have a well established instrumental swallow assessment service and are able to provide in house development, assessment and maintenance of competencies in FEES, videofluoroscopy and tracheostomy management.
We have a well-developed supervision and support structure within a team that has huge amounts of clinical experience and expertise, and we have a proven track record of supporting new and inexperienced staff to gain a high level of clinical as well as leadership and team working skills.
Speech and Language Therapy Support Workers
We have a small number of Speech and Language Therapy Support Workers who play a key role in supporting therapy programmes, patient review, producing materials for therapy and support, maintaining equipment and set up of clinics.
Opportunities within our Speech and Language Therapy Service are advertised under ‘Allied Health Professionals’ in our current vacancies.
Operating Department Practitioner
Operating Department Practitioner
×Our theatre department is a Major Trauma centre for the South West Region and a specialist regional centre for a number of services, including neurosurgery, renal, plastics, burns and orthopaedics. At North Bristol Trust, we are proud to offer all our Theatre Practitioners (Operating Department Practitioner’s (ODP’s) and Nurses) the same job role and access to development opportunities.
Our multidisciplinary team receive personalised support from the Perioperative Development Team, providing bespoke training programmes and development days for theatre staff. We currently have ODPs who have progressed to work in a variety of roles including Assistant General Manager, Simulation Trainers, Research and Surgical First Assistants.
Our anaesthetics and scrub practitioners also have access to unique multidisciplinary training delivered by our Perioperative simulation team within a purpose-built simulation facility; our Clinical Simulation space.
We are also innovating the traditional recovery approach, supporting patients during admission, pre-op and post operatively within our Medirooms. A new concept in healthcare, our Medirooms combine the traditional recovery, day-case, same-day and admission areas into a single patient room environment, specifically designed to enhance patient experience by improving the level of privacy and dignity that these areas were traditionally able to offer. Patients also benefit from continuity of care as they are admitted, recovered and discharged/transferred by the same mediroom team.
We are also proud to be able to support an Operating Department Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship in partnership with the University of Gloucestershire, a three year course where individuals study for a BSc Hons in Operating Department Practice, incorporating the integrated Degree Apprenticeship standards for Operating Department Practice.
Opportunities for ODP’s within our Theatre Department are advertised under ‘Allied Health Professionals’ in our current vacancies.
Radiographers
Radiographers
×Working as a Radiographer at North Bristol NHS Trust will provide you with a strong commitment for your individual personal development, the prospect to work with a fantastic and friendly team of peers and a department that is always open to new ideas and suggestions from all team members, providing a collaborative working environment.
North Bristol NHS Trust offers a diverse and challenging work environment where Radiographers can consolidate and build their skills. The Imaging Department encourages cross modality working practices in Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Interventional Radiology. Every year we carry out just over 400,000 imaging examinations ranging from simple GP requests, to complex Trauma cases as well as our regional specialties including neurosciences, orthopaedics and renal.
Teams within our services include:
- Computed Tomography (CT) team; delivering CT services for patients, with four CT scanners at our Southmead Hospital site and two located at Cossham Hospital.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) team; delivers MRI services for patients, with four MRI scanners at our Southmead Hospital site and one located at Cossham Hospital.
- Interventional Radiology team; the department consists of six labs with a mixture of single/bi-plane and hybrid systems and two multipurpose fluoroscopy rooms. This team also delivers the Lithotripsy service.
- Nuclear Medicine Team; providing a comprehensive Nuclear Medicine service to a wider range of specialties within the hospital, including examinations such as melanoma and penile scintigraphy, breast SNL procedures, lung scans, renal studies, cardiac and brain imaging.
- Reporting radiographers; providing Appendicular and axial reporting on ED and GP imaging.
Dietitians
Dietitians
×Dietitians interpret the science of nutrition to improve health and treat diseases/conditions by educating and giving practical, personalised advice to clients, patients, carers and colleagues.
We are a large dietetic team based at Southmead, which includes dietetic assistants. Our Dietitians work in many specialist areas such a renal, major trauma, neurosciences. The job roles range from supporting patients on the main wards to providing out-patient clinics from home.
Our dietetic team is very patient focused, friendly, flexible and supportive. We provide clinical support and mentorship, regular CPD opportunities and annual appraisals. Our department is committed to multi-disciplinary working and we have good IT facilities and admin support.
We are a forward thinking department, and this is an ideal career for motivated and caring people who have an interest in nutrition. The Trust supports evidence-based practice and all Dietitians are expected to participate in audit, research, projects or study related to their areas of work.