NHS Grampian's Physiotherapy service is split across 6 teams: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Combined Child Health, Acute, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities.  These teams work in a range of locations including acute hospital, community hospital, GP surgeries, patients' homes, education settings and health centres.  The client group is similarly diverse and depending on which clinical area you work in you may be working with a chest patient in Intensive Care, an outpatient with a painful back in a GP surgery, a child with Cerebral Palsy, an elderly patient who has fallen in their own home, a stroke patient to regain his mobilisation skills - the clinical diversity spans from birth to end of life.

I would like to become a Physiotherapist

Practising as a Physiotherapist requires a degree from a recognised Higher Education establishment.  In Scotland training is available at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh and Glasgow Caledonian University.  All training at these Universities leads to a BSc Honours in Physiotherapy.

It is also possible for graduates with a relevant degree (see individual websites) to become physiotherapists by following a Postgraduate course to gain an MSc in Physiotherapy.  All the above Universities offer this route.  Please visit their websites for more information.

If you are over 16 and in S5/6, or have left school either recently or a number of years ago, and would like to spend some time with the physiotherapy team gaining work experience, please use the NHS Grampian Work Experience website.

I am currently training to be a Physiotherapist

NHS Grampian supports clinical placements from all the above Universities.

NHS Grampian employs new graduate Physiotherapists from both the BSc and MSc courses onto the Band 5 rotation.  On the rotation you will gain experience in a wide range of specialty areas while working alongside specialist and consultant Physiotherapists.  The Physiotherapy team in NHS Grampian is committed to developing staff through internal and external CPD (Continued Professional Development) events to equip the workforce to meet the needs of our population.  There is a yearly NHS Grampian-wide event for networking and CPD.  The departments are all actively engaged in local training and national initiatives such as Flying Start and the Effective Practitioner resource.

I am a qualified Physiotherapist and considering a move to Grampian

NHS Grampian offers an opportunity to live and work within a very special part of Scotland.

Within NHS Grampian we can offer a range of exciting opportunities in a variety of specialties including Acute, MSK, Community Rehabilitation, Combined Child Health and Mental Health and Learning Disabilities.  NHS Grampian Physiotherapy service can offer the Band 5 rotation scheme - see above - and also Band 6 rotation schemes.  Within a Band 6 rotational post you will have the opportunity to work alongside highly specialist and advanced practice Physiotherapists in a variety of specialist areas, which will assist your move to a more specialist role in the future.  We also have static Band 6 posts in a variety of clinical areas and also Band 7 Highly Specialised Physiotherapy and Band 8A Advanced Practitioner roles.

I am a qualified Physiotherapist but it's been some years since I practised.  Am I able to return to work?

NHS Grampian welcome enquiries from Physiotherapists who have allowed their registration to lapse or have had a career break.  We are happy to support you to regain registration through supervision and an assessment of your clinical competencies.  For an informal chat please contact deborah.byars@nhs.scot.  More information is also available from the Health and Care Professions Council.

Published: 12/01/2024 10:22