Physiotherapist

Physiotherapists assess and treat a wide range of conditions affecting movement, function, and pain — from musculoskeletal injuries and post-operative rehabilitation to neurological conditions, respiratory disease, and sports injuries. You take a clinical history, carry out a physical assessment, diagnose the problem, and design a personalised treatment programme using therapeutic exercise, manual therapy (joint mobilisation and manipulation), electrotherapy, respiratory physiotherapy, and patient education. NHS physiotherapists work across acute hospitals, orthopaedic and trauma units, community health teams, outpatient musculoskeletal clinics, neurological rehabilitation, respiratory wards, and domiciliary settings. First Contact Practitioners in primary care see patients directly without GP referral — an expanding NHS role. Specialist areas include paediatrics, women's health, sports, oncology, and occupational health. Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is required to use the protected title 'physiotherapist' and practise.

NHS physiotherapy services are embedded in every trust and community health team, yet waiting lists consistently exceed capacity — demand structurally outpaces supply. An ageing population grows caseloads of musculoskeletal, respiratory, and neurological conditions year on year. Private practice demand is also strong: patients pay out-of-pocket to avoid NHS waits. HCPC registration and a regulated degree create a genuine entry barrier. The expanding First Contact Practitioner model gives physiotherapists direct assessment and onward referral rights in GP surgeries, further embedding the profession in primary care and widening its scope.

Morning outpatient clinic: assess a patient with chronic lower back pain, review their exercise programme, and carry out spinal joint mobilisation. A telehealth review follows for a post-total knee replacement patient at six weeks. After lunch, carry out ward rounds on the orthopaedic unit — mobilise a patient two days after hip replacement and assess respiratory function in a post-surgical patient. End of day: complete referral letters and a fitness-for-work report.