Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist MSK Triage

Overview The MSK Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist will work as part of the Physiotherapy Department, while also working closely with the Orthopaedic Consultant Surgeons & Consultant Rheumatologists in their respective clinics. The person appointed will be required to : Triage waiting lists and select patient for correct route to Physiotherapy, Orthopaedic surgery / management, Rheumatology Consultant management or other services. Attend and participate in orthopaedic / rheumatology clinics on site and regionally as covered by consultant services. Waiting list validation will be undertaken to remove patients who no longer require the service and to check for any duplication between Orthopaedics and Rheumatology Patients will be sent appointments for clinics Patients will be triaged in standalone and jointly held clinics by the Physiotherapist Clinical Specialist (Musculoskeletal Triage) and given follow up referral as required to Orthopaedic Consultant, Rheumatology Consultant, physiotherapy service / or other services Provide physiotherapy treatment to more complex patients. Improve the Clinical Pathway for Orthopaedics and Physiotherapy in the designated region. Develop and implement a model of care which will support the HSE Transformation model for Primary and Secondary Care through the development of Interface Clinics. Work with Orthopaedic Consultants / Registrars and Physiotherapists in outpatient clinics as part of the multidisciplinary team. This team may involve other disciplines involved in those teams' e.g. nursing, occupational therapy and podiatry services. The area covered will be as for the regional remit of the designated orthopaedic or rheumatology service within each HSE region and will involve outreach clinics. The Post holder will provide advanced triage and physiotherapy services as part of the SlainteCare Programme ( ) , to support service redesign initiatives aimed at delivering the safe transition of patient care between Acute & Community / Primary Care services, to facilitate the delivery of integrated care for patients with MSK conditions, and to ensure that patients receive appropriate care at the earliest possible time, as close to home as possible. The Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist will contribute to the mainstreaming of the improved musculoskeletal pathways of care between Community / Primary Care and Acute services, through the establishment of multidisciplinary outreach MSK interface clinics. The "Care Redesign Fund" was made available as part of the National Service Plan 2020 to support the delivery of reform initiatives, identified through the Capacity and Access Joint Action Programme, that aim to move scheduled care closer to home, being more responsive to the needs and wishes of patients. It has been estimated that up to 60% of Orthopaedic and Rheumatology referrals could have been managed through an MSK physiotherapist service. This funding aims to enhance the existing MSK service in order meet this level of demand in the Acute setting and to develop Integrated Musculoskeletal (MSK) services through the establishment of community / primary care-based Musculoskeletal Interface clinics nationally. This long-term aim will be achieved through service expansion and reconfiguration of the existing MSK services to develop an integrated pathway, predominantly based in the community / primary care setting These clinics will be an extension of the existing MSK Triage Service, in the form of Outreach MSK Interface Clinics, and will also support physiotherapy services in Community / Primary Care for patients with MSK conditions. The Outreach MSK Interface Clinics will be the interface between Acute and Community / Primary Care service providers. The Clinics will comprise Clinical Specialist Physiotherapists, Orthopaedic and Rheumatology Consultants, and General Practitioners. These clinics will undertake paper, Virtual and Face to Face triage of referrals to ensure patients are assigned to the optimum pathway of care for their referral. The Clinical Specialist Physiotherapists will work as a first contact practitioner at an advanced level in physiotherapy practice in line with competency level and scope of practice. This model has proven effective in other countries for delivering safe, cost-effective alternatives and can be achieved in the Irish setting through outreach MSK Interface clinics, which will embed Consultant Governance and patient centred care. For any queries please contact Ciaran Browne, Physiotherapist Manager-In-Charge III at ciaran.brow or Essential Criteria Candidates must have at the latest date of application : 1. Statutory Registration, Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc a) Candidate for appointment must hold, on closing date of application : Hold a Physiotherapy qualification recognised by the Physiotherapists Registration Board at CORU. Please see list of acceptable Physiotherapy qualifications : AND Be registered on the Physiotherapists Register maintained by the Physiotherapists Registration Board at CORU. OR Applicants who satisfy the conditions set out in Section 91 of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005, (see note 1 below

• must submit proof of application for registration with the Physiotherapists Registration Board at CORU. The acceptable proof is correspondence from the Physiotherapists Registration Board at CORU confirming their application for Registration as a Section 91 applicant. AND All candidates must have 5 years full time (or equivalent) years post qualification clinical experience of which 4 years full time (or equivalent) must be consecutive in specialism of musculoskeletal physiotherapy
• see details below). AND All candidates must demonstrate a proven record of clinical excellence in the specialism. AND Professional Development and Practice All candidates must demonstrate evidence of continuing professional development relevant to the required area of specialism, in the form of post-graduate qualifications or relevant courses. AND All candidates must demonstrate achievement in the areas of clinical audit, quality improvement initiatives, practice development, teaching and research. AND All candidates must have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability, management, leadership and professional ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the office. Note 1 : Section 91 candidates are individuals who qualified before 30 September 2016 and have been engaged in the practice of the profession in the Republic of Ireland for a minimum of 2 years fulltime (or an aggregate of 2 years fulltime), between 30th September 2011 and 30th September 2016 are considered to be Section 91 applicants under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005.
• Musculoskeletal physiotherapy experience can be acquired in orthopaedics rheumatology, plastics, hand therapy, occupational health, emergency department, Community / Primary Care or general musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Experience in hospital in-patient, out patients, Community / Primary Care, secondary care and private practice settings are also reckonable. 2. Annual Registration On appointment practitioners must maintain annual registration on Physiotherapists Register maintained by the Physiotherapists Registration Board at CORU. AND Practitioners must confirm annual registration with CORU to the HSE by way of the annual Patient Safety Assurance Certificate (PSAC). Post Specific Requirements : Demonstrate depth and breadth of experience in musculoskeletal physiotherapy as relevant to the role. Demonstrate depth and breadth of experience in the areas of clinical audit, quality improvement initiatives, practice development, teaching and research. Demonstrate depth and breadth of experience in continuous professional development relevant to the required area of specialism. Access to own transport as a portion of the appointees work may be carried out "off site". This means that the appointee will travel to the hubs to perform duties related to the role See relevant attachment MSK Triage Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist Job Specification Jan 2025