- Assess, plan, implement and evaluate treatment plans, with an aim to increase patient’s productivity and self-care.
- Work with patients through a shared-decision making approach to plan realistic, outcomes-focused goals.
- Undertake both verbal and non-verbal communication methods to address the needs of patients that have communication difficulties.
- Involve MDT colleagues, physiotherapists, social workers, alongside patients, families, teachers, carers, and employers in treatment planning, to aid rehabilitation.
- Where appropriate, support the development of discharge and contingency plans with relevant professionals to arrange on-going care in residential, care home, hospital and community settings.
- Periodically review, evaluate, and change rehabilitation programmes to rebuild list skills and restore confidence.
- Where appropriate, advise on home, school, and workplace environmental alterations, such as adjustments for wheelchair access, technological needs, and ergonomic support.
- Teach coping strategies and support adaptation to manage long term conditions for physical and mental health.
- Advise on specialist and organisations to help with daily activities.
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills including negotiation and conflict management
- Evidence of effective organisational skills
- Evidence of Leadership Skills
- Expert Clinical Supervision Skills
- Evidence of maintaining accurate and contemporaneous record keeping.
- Evidence of excellent Report writing.
- Evidence based clinical / psychological skills and advanced nursing practice.
Primary Care Resources
The Primary Care Training Hub have developed an Online Training and Learning webpage to compile all available online training courses. These online courses are from a range of different training providers and provide amazing e-learning development opportunities for primary care staff.
e-Learning for Healthcare
The following resources can be accessed via e-Learning for Healthcare (e-LfH). E-LfH provides free e-learning programmes which can support you in your professional development. If you do not already have an account, click here to register using your NHS email address. If you already have an account, please use the same link to firstly log in to access the following resources.
The below resources are available to support Allied Health Professionals in their understanding and their development:
- Resources for AHP in a Primary or Community Setting: This package provides training materials and resources useful to Allied Health Professionals working in a primary care or community setting during the current COVID-19 pandemic. It covers a comprehensive set of topics including breathlessness, fatigue, nutritional support, and rehabilitation.
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New Fit Note: From 1st July 2022, new legislation came into force which allows nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and physiotherapists to legally certify fit notes, in addition to doctors. To support this, the government has published some guidance.
The below resources are specific to the role of Occupational Therapists:
These lists are not exhaustive and the programmes available are regularly updated, so we recommend visiting the e-LfH portal and reviewing the available resources via using the “View full catalogue” function, or the “Search the e-learning" function.
To ensure the role is supported within primary care, the OT will have access to appropriate clinical supervision and an appropriate named individual in the PCN to provide general advice and support on a day to day basis. Clinical Supervision of Occupational Therapists can be conducted by:
- Experienced Occupational Therapists
- GP
- ACP (3+ years)
Guidance from HEE and NHSEI regarding Supervision for Occupational Therapists can be found below:
A BSc degree in Occupational Therapy under a training programme approved by the College of OTs
- HEE Primary care FCP training must be completed as the minimum threshold for entry to primary care and be supported by appropriate governance and indemnity
- HEE primary care FCP training can begin 3-5 years after the completion of the postgraduate degree
Local providers that deliver BsC in Occupational Therapy:
The Complete University Guide provides a full list of the Universities where you can study a Bsc in Occupational Therapy which can be found here.
100% of actual salary plus defined on-costs, up to the maximum reimbursable amount of £69,515 over 12 months.
Professional Body Resources
RCOT is the governing body of Occupational Therapists and provide resources for occupational therapy in primary care.
Role Overview
HEE have provided this resource to summarise the role of Occupational Therapists within Primary Care.
This updated DES 2026/27 outlines the role of the Occupational Therapist and what is expected from PCNs (pages 96-97).
HEE have provided this resource to cover the most common areas that dietitians support with in primary care.
Jobs
If you are looking for a new position related to this role, we recommend checking both NHS Jobs and HealthjobsUK.
NHS Jobs is the official online recruitment service for the NHS in England and Wales, with over 30,000 jobs posted every month.
Hosted by trac.jobs, HealthJobsUK is among the leading job boards in the health and public sector within the UK.
