junior physiotherapist position

[maette]

hi, i;m a physiotherapy graduate from nigeria and i'm interested in a rotational junior physiotherapist position in the uk. i'm currently applying to the hpc for registration but just want to know if and how easy it will be for me to get into the uk system as a fresh graduate. any advise will be appreciated.

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[Physiobase]

Unfortunately most of the new grads from within the UK system do not have jobs yet. This is a huge problem and is making it increasingly difficult for foreign trained PT's to gain a position. I wish you luck though.8o

[matla]

may i know why it is dificult to get job for uk grads in their own country?

[Physiobase]

Mainly because the insurers like BUPA willonly accept PT's with over 5 years experience as offering treatment for their patients. This means no one is leaving the NHS. This means no new grad jobs.

Add to that the NHS difficulties currently with budgeting and we have an over supply of graduates with no job openings. The BUPA issue is the main one, the NHS one will work itself out. However to address the BUPA issue the CSP needs to "show some balls".....balls which they unfortunately don't have! The big issue here is that another round of new grads will shortly be moving into the work force and they will add to those who already don't have PT Jobs. The future right now is bleak

[Fiona Schreuder]

The issue as far as I can see is mainly the NHS. It is going broke. Services are not expanding- if anything more and more physios are having to provide evidence of efficacy or face job cuts. I know for a fact that many Trusts are freezing posts when physios leave. I lecture at a University and fortunately the majority of last year's graduates now have jobs (although this has taken some of them many months). Our current final year students are in the process of applying for jobs and there really are very few around. As the previous person said people are not leaving posts as they know it will be difficult to get another post. Up until quite recently senior IIs used to leave to travel- I know they just aren't doing that now. My suggestion would be to avoid the UK. If you have to do a period of adaptation (as recommended by the HPC) it may also be difficult to find a hospital that will take you for that. Good luck with your job hunting!

[Physiobase]

Here is a copy of a letter I recently wrote to the CSP Frontline Editor. I was disappointed that they did not print it.

Is the CSP missing the point?

I hope you print this letter as I am totally bewildered and at a loss as to why the CSP appear to be focusing on current NHS problems as the cause of the widespread new graduate unemployment. In my view this problem has largely been created by BUPA and it will remain a problem, regardless of new NHS opportunities, unless the CSP focuses its attention into dealing with a rogue private health insurer.

About 18 months ago BUPA decided in its infinite wisdom to restrict coverage for it's members to treatments only provided by physiotherapists with a minimum of 5 years post graduate experience (except of course unless it was at a BUPA clinic!). This meant many private practitioners, including myself, had a team of staff that could no longer treat BUPA clients. No consideration was given to the fact that these excellent staff had been financially and professionally supported and educated for several years. I won't begin to go into the restriction of trade and anti-competition issues but god knows why the CSP haven't. And where does it say someone with 5 years existence post graduation is better than someone with 4? You could have taken 4 years out and worked for one year and according to BUPA your were better qualified than someone who had worked solidly for 4 years since their graduation.

New grad positions, senior 2 and senior 1 positions become available every year because many physio's exit the NHS during their first 5 years to find private practice jobs. Unfortunately private practices are now not employing anyone with less than 5 years post grad experience. Why? Because BUPA won't pay for treatments that are provided by them. Existing staff with less than 5 years experience already in the private sector are also not moving on as they have little to no opportunities as well.

What does it all mean? NHS physio's, with less than 5 years experience, are not moving into the private sector. Therefore the current new grads that have jobs won't leave for up to 5 further years. The result: the annual opening of NHS positions is not happening and few new jobs would be expected for at least 5 years. Unfortunately 5 years in the NHS is enough to make it perhaps a career choice and maybe they won't even move on when they do reach 5 years post graduation. The future is bleak at best for anyone studying physiotherapy unless the CSP get off their backsides and refocus their attention against BUPA and put the NHS crisis as second in line. After all the BUPA situation came first.

[Dreg boy]

I am in the same situation being a new grad from Sydney uni looking at registering in the UK,

Would I be better off not bothering to register and search for work as an Exercise physiologist as i am qualified and have experience?, is the low employment the same near Bristol?

Is there difficulties finding work as strappers/ physios in sports coverage?

[Fiona Schreuder]

I too am a Sydney Graduate but have been in the UK since 1992. I don't know what the job situation is like for exercise physiologists here. The job situation from a physiotherapy perspective around Bristol is as bad as it is across the whole of the UK. If you want to get work in the sports arena my understanding is that most sports teams want people with a few years' experience (I am not a sports physio- someone else out there may be able to give you more accurate information).
My advice would be not to even try to get work in the UK unless you have amazing skills/ experience that managers will not want to turn away. The new grads have finished Uni in the last week and will be swamping the departments looking for work. I know that physios with experience are not even leaving posts to travel in case they can't get work when they return. I believe that there is no agency/ locum work here either.
Sorry to sound so negative but the easy ride into UK jobs is over and I would hate you to make an expensive move to the UK only to find that you end up working in a bar!
Good luck.

[favl]

You have already heard about the job crisis for juniors in the uk. May be better to save your registration money and postpone your plans for a year or two.
Having interveiwed overseas applicants in the past I suggest the following:
-Have a good understanding of the Uk system and NHS
-Research the post you are applying for - why do you want that particular job? -it doesn't look good if you want the job just because it is in the UK.
-Be prepared to work as an autonomous practitioner
-Sell yourself - what can you offer to the employer? There must be advantages of training overseas that you can bring to the uk - seek these out and promote them.

Good luck with your job hunt.

[Dreg boy]

Would the poor job prospects apply to more rural areas in the UK?

I plan on living an hour or so south of Bristol in a small town called Stowey, and have a British passport along with physio sports coverage experience, Exercise physiologist experience (human mvmt degree), and prior physio aide work before my Sydney uni PT degree.

As a new grad in that rural area would i still be stuffed looking for work??? Anyone have contacts in Somerset?

Thanks for previous replies
Greg

[Fiona Schreuder]

Greg
Sorry to be negative but you will find it difficult getting work anywhere in the UK including rural areas. By all means- have a go but I know you will struggle. As I said earlier you are up against a whole lot of UK grads now. There is also a physio school in Bristol and I am sure a lot of those grads will be looking locally. There are many students here who have worked as physio assistants too. You could try to pursue your exercise physiology angle.
Good luck.

[jaishingdia]

hi fiona,
looks like you are pretty clued in with the job situation here. its good to know us grads (last yr grad myself) are frantically looking for jobs.
i am workingas a ti3 but this is only bank work. i am quite worrried about what will happen when i am not needed in a few weeks. i am currently still applying (a yr on) and just wondered if you could suggest anything? ie looking into courses? pilates courses? ect please help.

thanks
jess

[Physiobase]

Hey Dreg Boy, perhaps a good avenue for initial assistance is to post that you are looking on the PT's looking for work page on our jobs site www.physiobob.com.

The recruiters over here check this daily and are contacting suitable applicants directly so you don't have to chase them.

Take a look at the page at www.physiobob.com/PtsLookingForWork1.aspx?go=pts

Best of luck

p.s. The Aussie PT's are well respected so you should get a job above any UK new grad.

[Fiona Schreuder]

Jess
It is difficult to suggest what else you can do. Working as a TI and gaining relevant experience is fantastic. I don't know what to say re courses etc. I have always felt that without relevant clinical experience courses are not really worthwhile for new grads until you get this clinical experience. However, this is only my viewpoint and some employers may feel that it may give you the edge over other applicants. I would choose courses carefully as they are quite expensive and not always relevant to the work you will be doing.
Greg- I wouldn't bank on being chosen over UK grads as many employers are loyal to the UK grads as the physio training here is NHS funded!
Good luck to you both.

[Physioindeed]

Just to emphasize what everybody else said.
if you are considering coming to the uk and you have less then 5, possibly even less then 2 years postgraduate experience - really don't bother- we are not kidding!
It is madness here!

[oscar]

Just to emphasize what everybody else said.
if you are considering coming to the uk and you have less then 5, possibly even less then 2 years postgraduate experience - really don't bother- we are not kidding!
It is madness here!

Yep, totally agree! It's worse now than ever- unless you fancy competing with 400-500+ applicants for every job that comes up (and that's a pretty rare event too!)

[Laura01]

In response to being chosen oven UK graduates, I thought that the current job situation meant that the foreign office had to take these posts off the national shortage lists therefore are not open to foreign applicants?

I'm also a 'new graduate' who qualified last July and have been unable to obtain an NHS post. Possibly the fact that I live in Scotland means there are less posts to apply for. In terms of experince I have managed to get 2 days work a week in a private clinic, I volunteer for one Youth Football team and work another night for a football youth academy. The rest of the time I work as a nursing axillary for an agency. Somehow I pay the bills! These are the lengths i am going to in order to maintain my skills, yet when i'm interviewed I struggle to explain that I do this because I have to, not because I'm desparate to break into sports.

So nearly a year on and I feel I would have more benefit staying in uni!

Can you folk not get jobs in your native countries?I would advise you do this in the mean time if you can and get the experience to apply for senior ii positions which seem to be less in demand.
any how best of luck
laura

[EveBu]

I read all the messges here...and feel desparate that mean there is no chance for me at all to find a job like PT in UK... I'm graduated in the Lithuania and have ONLY 8 months experience!!!! I've never felt so bad in my life...with the diploma in my pocket but without job !!!!