Introduction
Guy’s and St Thomas’ Physiotherapy Department is home to faculty with experience in delivering postgraduate training and development programmes, which is why we are able to offer Visiting Professional Programmes across all four of our service-based teams.
- Musculoskeletal Services – chronic pain, acute musculo-skeletal injuries, acupuncture, women’ and men’s health, haemophilia, fibromyalgia, hydrotherapy and specialist extended scope roles.
- Paediatric Services – acute respiratory including neonatal and intensive care, long term ventilation, neuro-disability, renal, surgery and orthopaedics.
- Respiratory Services – critical care including specialist weaning and ECMO, cardiac and general surgery, thoracic surgery, long term respiratory management including oxygen assessment and pulmonary rehabilitation, and medicine including high dependency and non-invasive ventilation.
- Rehabilitation Services – neuro-disability including neuro-fibromatosis, stroke including spasticity clinic, vestibular and facial, older adults including acute and outpatients including falls, renal/urology, oncology including acute and outpatients, vascular/amputees, orthopaedics including trauma and elective, and HIV.
Programme aims
The programme is aimed at those who wish to learn more about Guy’s and St Thomas’ physiotherapy department. The programme aims to include opportunities to:
- Spend one to one time with senior faculty who will provide supervised hands-on experience and insight into the scope of a physiotherapist’s role within the NHS, including extending scope of practice
- Attend inpatient and outpatient clinics, multidisciplinary team meetings and intervention meetings
- Learn about the multidisciplinary team approach to integrated and holistic care
Gain an advanced understanding of the care pathway and develop knowledge of the different service models - Develop expertise of clinical diagnosis and derive differential diagnoses for patients with complexity through collating bedside and clinical assessment findings with underpinning theories
- Develop an understanding of research strategies to investigate physiotherapy services/interventions
- Expand knowledge of appropriate further investigations, such as CT ultrasounds, MRI and X-rays, and how to act on the results that have been interpreted
A Certificate of Attendance will be awarded to visitors upon the end of their programme.
Format
Visiting professionals have the opportunity to select a physiotherapy speciality or to rotate throughout a combination of the department’s services. The programme will take place within the hospital work place where visiting professionals will be fully integrated into their chosen service so as to gain an understanding of the healthcare pathway. Visitors will also be provided with access to clinics and patient assessments whilst working with an assigned senior specialist physiotherapist.
Who can apply
This programme is intended for non-UK physiotherapists with previous experience within a hospital setting. If visitors are requesting a programme within a specific service then previous experience within that speciality is preferred.
Programme duration
We are able to offer visiting professional programmes for overseas therapists for periods of four to eight weeks. The programme’s duration can be tailored to the specific learning requirements of those visiting the Trust.
Physiotherapy service
Our Department of Physiotherapy is renowned for its clinical and educational excellence with our entire senior faculty being involved in academic training at undergraduate and postgraduate level with our academic partner King’s College London, and other Higher Education Institutes. Our experienced team regularly deliver lectures and presentations both nationally and internationally as their areas of expertise embrace the spectrum of physiotherapy specialities. Our staff are also academically active, regularly publishing abstracts and papers, contributing to peer review for journals and sitting on national clinical guideline groups.
Research activity is embedded within the physiotherapy department, with staff actively developing and leading research applications and programmes. A number of our staff have or are currently undertaking postgraduate study, including MRes, MSc and PhD programmes.
The physiotherapy department is organised into four broad service based teams:
- musculoskeletal
- paediatric
- respiratory
- rehabilitation services
The teams cover both acute trust sites and some community based outpatient services.
Our expert faculty provides both inpatient and outpatient services and works closely with other departments, to provide assessments and comprehensive physiotherapy.
Fees
A course fee per week will be applied; this fee excludes accommodation and travelling expenses. To find out the fee amount please email vpp@gstt.nhs.uk
Please note
Clinicians are able to offer bursaries or discounted placements on an individual basis. This is at the discretion of the Directorates of GSTT and does not affect the terms and conditions of the Visiting Professional Programme agreements.