Advanced Clinical Practice Physiotherapist MSK Pathway

• Southland Hospital
• Permanent Part time Opportunity (20 hours per week)

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

As an Advanced Clinical Practice Physiotherapist you will play a pivotal role in delivering specialised physiotherapy services to patients on the MSK pathway. You will work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team to develop and implement individualised treatment plans utilising advanced clinical skills and evidence-based practices. Your expertise will contribute to improving patient outcomes and enhancing overall quality of care.

This role will be focused on delivering first specialist appointments as part of the MSK pathway. This is a perfect opportunity for an advanced physiotherapist to gain experience of this pathway.

The ACPP is responsible for the clinical assessment diagnostic workup and identification of appropriate management pathways for patients referred to the Hospital Specialist Services Orthopaedic department via the Orthopaedic or Orthopaedic Triage Service referral pathways both of which fall under planned care services. This is a non-interventional role focused on assessment and management.

Key functions include:

1. Providing expert-level clinical assessments with high autonomy requesting investigations and formulating differential diagnoses.
2. Identifying serious urgent or emergent pathologies and escalating care as needed.
3. Utilising evidence-based practices to guide management recommendations for surgical and non-surgical options.
4. Promoting and demonstrating quality in clinical practice and service delivery through continuous quality improvement.

View Position Description

About us

Our Southland team is small enough to foster close working relationships and a supportive culture yet large enough to offer a wide range of clinical experiences. We promote a relaxed professional environment that values learning collaboration and wellbeing. Southland Hospital is a modern secondary-level facility with access to senior clinical support and strong connections across the Southern district.

For more information on living and working in Southlandclickhere

About you

You are an experienced advanced practice physiotherapist with strong experience in orthopaedics and MSK. Youre a clear communicator and confident collaborator with the interpersonal skills to work collaboratively amongst a multidisciplinary team.

Physiotherapists in New Zealand can obtain registration under three scopes of practice

General Scope of Practice: Physiotherapist

Advanced Practice Physiotherapist Scope of Practice: Physiotherapist

Specialist Scope of Practice Physiotherapist

For this role you should be registered in General Scope of Practice: Physiotherapist and are working at an advanced practice level within a defined field standard of Orthopaedics. This is an emerging field of practice in Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora and is equivalent to advanced clinical practice roles internationally.

All Physiotherapists are expected to hold a current Annual Practicing Certificate (APC) at all times meet the expectations outlined in the Physiotherapy Standards Framework and comply with the Recertification Programme and Audit requirements of the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand (PBNZ).

Working for Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori Pacific disabled and rainbow communities.

How to Apply

To apply please click apply now. All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal by Sunday 19th October 2025. If you have any questions about the role please contact Katie Procter

Whilst Health New Zealand is undergoing change affected kaimahi will be given preference and priority for this position.