Physiotherapist

You'll meet with patients to assess their physical difficulties and how these affect their movement and everyday activities. You'll then plan and review appropriate treatment and rehabilitation programmes using a range of techniques, including manual therapy, exercise and, where appropriate, treatments such as ultrasound or electrical stimulation.

As well as treating patients, you'll also provide education and advice on how to avoid injury, keep active and self-manage long-term conditions.

Patients can include children, older people, people with sports injuries, intensive care patients who require respiratory physiotherapy and people recovering from a stroke.

Areas of physiotherapy

There are many clinical specialties within physiotherapy, including:

• cardiovascular - includes chronic heart disease and rehabilitation after a heart attack
• neurology - includes multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and rehabilitation following a stroke
• musculoskeletal (MSK) - includes arthritis, back pain and sports injuries
• respiratory - includes asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis.

You can also specialise in areas such as paediatrics, older people's care, pelvic health, mental health, oncology and palliative care.

What does a physiotherapist do?

You'll need to:

• assess patients' movement, strength, mobility and other physical needs, taking account of their symptoms, medical history and individual circumstances
• use clinical reasoning and assessment findings to identify patients' problems and form a working diagnosis
• agree treatment and rehabilitation goals with patients and develop individual treatment plans
• provide treatments such as exercise and movement programmes, manual therapy and other appropriate physiotherapy techniques
• regularly review patients' progress and adapt treatment and rehabilitation plans where necessary
• provide education and advice to patients, families and carers to support recovery, prevent further problems and help patients manage their own conditions
• work with other health and social care professionals, such as doctors, nurses and occupational therapists, and refer patients to other services where necessary
• maintain accurate and confidential patient records, including assessments, treatments and progress
• manage and prioritise a caseload of patients, including identifying and managing clinical risks
• keep your professional knowledge and skills up to date and, with experience, supervise students, support workers or more junior physiotherapists.

Physiotherapist salaries

• Jobs in the NHS in England are usually covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay rates. Qualified physiotherapists typically start at Band 5, earning between £32,073 and £39,043.
• With experience, you may progress to Band 6 (£39,959 to £48,117) and Band 7 (£49,387 to £56,515) in senior or specialist roles.
• Advanced clinical, leadership and consultant roles may be paid at Band 8, with salaries ranging from £57,528 at Band 8a to £91,609 at Band 8c. Pay will depend on the level of responsibility and the nature of the role.

NHS staff working in London and surrounding areas may receive an additional high-cost area supplement. Pay scales vary across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so check the relevant country's current rates.

Salaries and conditions outside the NHS vary. See the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) for information on pay and employment conditions outside the NHS.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

What hours does a physiotherapist work?

Physiotherapists working full time in the NHS typically work 37.5 hours a week. Hours are often worked during the day, Monday to Friday, although some services operate seven days a week and you may need to work evenings, weekends or take part in an on-call rota.

As a sports physiotherapist, you're likely to work some evenings and weekends to fit around training and competitions. In private practice, your hours will reflect the needs of your clients.

Part-time, flexible and locum work is available.

How do you become a physiotherapist?

To practise as a physiotherapist in the UK, you must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The main routes are through an HCPC-approved pre-registration programme, such as:

• an undergraduate physiotherapy degree, which usually takes three years full time, or four years in Scotland
• an accelerated physiotherapy Masters degree, usually lasting two years, if you already have a degree
• a physiotherapist degree apprenticeship in England, which combines paid work with university study.

Some universities also offer part-time or integrated Masters courses.

Undergraduate entry requirements vary, but you'll typically need A-levels or equivalent qualifications. Many courses require a science or related subject. For postgraduate courses, you'll usually need an undergraduate degree, although subject and grade requirements vary.

You'll also need to meet occupational health requirements and undergo the appropriate criminal records check before undertaking placements. Check individual course providers for their exact entry requirements.

For a list of approved courses, see HCPC approved programmes.

Eligible physiotherapy students studying in England can apply for the NHS Learning Support Fund, which currently includes funding support of at least £5,000 per academic year. Funding arrangements differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so check the relevant student finance or NHS funding body for details.

HCPC-registered physiotherapists are eligible to apply for chartered membership of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).

What skills does a physiotherapist need?

You'll need:

• excellent communication skills to listen to patients, explain treatments clearly and give advice that is easy to understand
• strong interpersonal skills to build trust with patients and encourage them to take an active role in their treatment and rehabilitation
• clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills to assess patients, identify problems and decide on appropriate treatment
• teamwork skills to work effectively with other health and social care professionals
• good practical and manual skills to carry out assessments and physiotherapy treatments safely
• organisation and time-management skills to manage your caseload, keep accurate records and work effectively in a busy healthcare environment.

You'll also need business and commercial skills if you work in private practice.

Physiotherapy work experience

Course providers will usually expect you to show that you understand the role of a physiotherapist and the different settings they work in. Try, if possible, to arrange observational work experience or shadowing with a physiotherapist. You could approach:

• NHS physiotherapy departments
• private physiotherapy or sports injury clinics
• rehabilitation services
• sports clubs.

Direct physiotherapy experience can be difficult to arrange, so experience in other health, care or community settings can also be valuable. This could include paid or voluntary work in:

• care homes
• charities
• community organisations
• disability services
• hospitals
• schools.

Working as a physiotherapy support worker can provide particularly useful insight into the profession.

Relevant work experience can help you develop skills that are essential for the work of a physiotherapist, such as communication, teamwork and the ability to work with people from different backgrounds.

Think about what you've learned from your experience and be prepared to explain how it's helped you understand physiotherapy, what it's like to work with patients and whether the career is right for you.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Who employs physiotherapists?

The NHS is the largest employer of physiotherapists, but opportunities are also available with:

• charities and voluntary or community organisations
• GP practices and community health services
• private hospitals, clinics and physiotherapy practices
• schools, care homes and social care organisations
• sports clubs, sports clinics, gyms and leisure organisations
• the armed forces and other public-sector organisations.

Within the NHS, physiotherapists work across a wide range of services, including musculoskeletal, neurology, respiratory, stroke, orthopaedics, paediatrics, intensive care and rehabilitation.

Some physiotherapists work for more than one employer or combine employed work with private practice. With experience, you may also become self-employed and set up your own physiotherapy practice.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Health Jobs UK
• Jobs.hscni.net - health and social care jobs in Northern Ireland.
• NHS Jobs - for vacancies in England and Wales.
• NHSScotland Jobs
• Physiotherapy Jobs - jobs board of the CSP.

Specialist recruitment agencies such as Pulse and Your World Healthcare also advertise vacancies.

Where can a career as a physiotherapist lead?

Early in your career, you may work in a rotational post to gain experience in different areas of physiotherapy. As you develop your skills, you can specialise in areas such as:

• critical care
• mental health
• musculoskeletal physiotherapy
• neurology
• oncology
• paediatrics
• pelvic health
• respiratory care.

You may also choose to work with people who have complex or long-term conditions.

With experience, you can progress into senior or specialist roles and, with further development, work at an advanced level of practice, taking on more complex clinical work and greater responsibility. Advanced practice involves a high level of autonomy and requires Masters-level study or equivalent across clinical practice, leadership, education and research. Some physiotherapists also progress to consultant-level roles.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is important throughout your career and can include short courses, postgraduate study and workplace learning. Membership of the CSP provides access to careers and professional advice, CPD resources, professional guidance and opportunities for further development. Some physiotherapists also undertake additional HCPC-approved training in areas such as supplementary or independent prescribing.

You can also move into service management, leadership, education, teaching or research. Other options include private practice and self-employment, with some experienced physiotherapists developing portfolio careers that combine clinical work with other professional interests.