A Rewarding Career in Imaging at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

At Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, a career in medical imaging offers a dynamic and vital role in patient care. You’ll utilize an advanced array of imaging technologies and techniques to accurately diagnose diseases and conditions, providing crucial insights into a patient’s illness. This includes:

• X-ray: To examine bones, cavities, and foreign objects by looking through tissues.
• Fluoroscopy: To visualize the digestive system in real-time.
• CT (Computed Tomography): Providing detailed cross-sectional views of the body.
• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): Building sophisticated 2D or 3D maps of various tissue types within the body.
• Ultrasound: Essential for checking circulation, examining the heart, and supporting antenatal care.
• Angiography: To thoroughly investigate blood vessels.

You’ll be an integral part of our Radiology and Imaging departments, capturing and interpreting images, and reporting your findings across a wide range of hospital services. This includes supporting critical areas like our Accident and Emergency department, outpatients, operating theatres, and wards. You’ll work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals, including healthcare scientists specializing in non-ionizing imaging, and may also supervise the work of radiography assistants or imaging support assistants. Your expertise will be key to helping us deliver the highest quality diagnostic services to our community.

For more information visit the Health Careers website –Diagnostic radiographer

At Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, our Dietitians play a crucial role, bridging the gap between complex nutritional science and practical, everyday food choices. They are experts in translating scientific and medical research related to food and health into clear, actionable guidance for our patients and the wider community.

Your Working Life as a Dietitian

As a Dietitian with us, you’ll be at the forefront of patient care, assessing, diagnosing, and treating a wide array of dietary and nutritional problems. You’ll empower individuals to make informed and practical decisions about their food and nutrition, all while promoting good health and preventing disease within our community. You’ll also be instrumental in educating both the public and other health professionals on the latest insights in diet and nutrition.

Within the NHS, you’ll primarily work in our hospitals or within our community settings, engaging with both healthy and unwell individuals. Your work will directly impact people dealing with diverse health needs, such as those who:

• Have digestive problems.
• Are looking to lose weight or, conversely, gain weight after an illness.
• Are managing conditions like HIV.
• Are struggling with an eating disorder.
• Aim to improve their sports performance.
• Suffer from allergies.

You’ll collaborate closely with other healthcare professionals, and you may also supervise the valuable work of our dietetic assistants. Please note that while both dietitians and nutritionists are vital, they have distinct roles, training, and are regulated by different professional bodies.

For more information, read the dietitian roles on the NHS Health Careers website.

Occupational Therapy offers an incredibly exciting and diverse career path, providing you with the chance to make a tangible difference in people’s lives every single day. At Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, you’ll discover a high degree of flexibility and excellent employment prospects within a supportive environment.

Your Dynamic Working Life as an Occupational Therapist

As an Occupational Therapist, you’ll work with individuals facing difficulties in everyday activities due to disability, illness, trauma, ageing, or a range of long-term conditions. You’ll assess their needs and collaboratively develop solutions that enable them to regain independence and improve their quality of life. As Rachel Rule, an occupational therapy student, puts it, “Occupational therapy allows you to make a difference to people’s lives across the community, which is something that really appeals to me about the career.”

Your role will be incredibly varied, as you’ll encounter a diverse range of patients and help them with numerous challenges. For example, you might be:

• Helping someone adapt to life after major surgery.
• Supporting individuals with mental illness to reintegrate into everyday activities, such as work or volunteering.
• Assisting elderly people in remaining safely in their own homes by providing adaptations like level access showers or stair lifts.

The variety extends beyond patient conditions; you’ll also have the opportunity to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in various settings. At Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, this could span from our hospitals and clinics to community outreach, ensuring comprehensive support for our patients.

You’ll be a problem-solver, devising creative solutions to everyday challenges, such as:

• Advising on new ways to approach a task to make it more manageable.
• Utilising specialised equipment or assistive technology to enhance independence.
• Adapting living or working environments to better suit an individual’s needs.
• Developing strategies to help individuals achieve their personal goals.

Whether it’s daily self-care (like washing, dressing, or eating), engaging in work or education, or pursuing leisure activities, illness, injury, disability, or ageing can make ordinary tasks challenging. You’ll be instrumental in helping people find ways to continue with the activities that are important to them, often involving learning new methods or modifying their environment.

Beyond working with individual patients and their families, our Occupational Therapists also collaborate with groups and actively participate in multidisciplinary teams with other health professionals. You may also have the opportunity to supervise the vital work of occupational therapy support workers.

How to Become an Occupational Therapist

To embark on this rewarding career, you’ll need to complete an undergraduate degree (through a full-time course or degree apprenticeship) or, if you already hold a relevant degree, pursue a Master’s level through a two-year accelerated program. Entry requirements can vary, so we encourage you to explore the specific details for the institutions you’re interested in.

Ready to make a difference in Walsall? Explore our current opportunities and learn more about becoming an Occupational Therapist [LINK TO RECRUITMENT PAGE]

For more information about occupational therapy visit the health careers pages .

A Dynamic Career as an Operating Department Practitioner at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

As an Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, you’ll be an indispensable part of our healthcare team, involved in every phase of a patient’s surgical journey, from initial preparation to recovery. This varied and vital role demands high standards of skilled care and support throughout the entire perioperative process.

Your Working Life as an ODP

While primarily based in our operating theatres, ODPs are increasingly found in other critical care areas of the hospital, showcasing the breadth of their expertise. You’ll play a crucial role across three key phases:

The Anaesthetic Phase

In this phase, you’ll assist the patient prior to surgery, providing individualized care. This involves a wide range of clinical skills, including the meticulous preparation of specialist equipment and drugs, such as anaesthetic machines, intravenous equipment, and devices to safely secure the patient’s airway. Your ability to communicate effectively and work seamlessly within the team is paramount here.

The Surgical Phase

During surgery, you’re an integral part of the surgical team. You’ll meticulously prepare all necessary instruments and equipment for operations, including microscopes, lasers, and endoscopes. You’ll ensure the correct surgical instruments and materials are readily available to the surgeon and will be responsible for tracking surgical instruments, equipment, and swabs throughout the procedure. Acting as a vital link between the surgical team and other parts of the theatre and hospital, you’ll anticipate the team’s requirements and respond effectively to ensure smooth and efficient operations.

The Recovery Phase

Once surgery is complete, you’ll support the patient as they arrive in the recovery unit. Your responsibilities include monitoring a patient’s physiological parameters and providing appropriate treatment until they have fully recovered from the effects of anaesthesia and/or surgery. You’ll then assess the patient to ensure they can be safely discharged back to a ward, and you’ll play a key role in evaluating the care provided during each phase of their perioperative journey.

Becoming an ODP

To become an Operating Department Practitioner, you’ll need to pursue training and study at either degree or diploma level. Entry requirements can vary depending on the educational institution. If you’re passionate about making a real difference in the lives of patients undergoing surgery, consider exploring the ODP courses available. Or read more information on the Health Careers website.

Orthoptist specialise in diagnosing and managing eye conditions, in a wide age range of patients, that largely affect eye movements, visual development or the way the eyes work together.

Working life

Orthoptics is an exciting and varied career. It offers you the chance to make a difference, a high degree of flexibility and excellent employment prospects. You’ll work with patients every day to help improve their care and their lives.

Orthoptists investigate, diagnose and treat defects of binocular vision and abnormalities of eye movement. For example, they may deal with:

• misalignment of the eyes (strabismus or squint)
• double vision (diplopia)
• reduced vision (amblyopia)

What you’ll do as an orthoptist

You’ll see a huge variety of patients and help them with many different issues as an orthoptist. Some examples of things you might work on include:

• assessing the vision of babies and small children including children with special needs
• ensuring speedy rehabilitation of patients who have suffered stroke or brain injuries
• diagnosing and monitoring long term eye conditions such as glaucoma

Variety is one of the most exciting things about being an orthoptist. As well as seeing different patients and conditions you’ll also have the opportunity to work independently as well as part of a multi-disciplinary team including consultant eye surgeons (ophthalmologists), optometrists and nurses.

Treatments can include eye patches, glasses or exercises. Some eye problems, such as double vision, may be indicators of other health problems including multiple sclerosis or tumour. You’ll play an important part in spotting these serious conditions.

Most orthoptists work in the NHS. You may work in an eye hospital, hospital eye department or a community health centre. You may also visit schools, including special schools. Outside the NHS, you may work in private clinics.

You’ll work independently or with other eye specialists such as consultant eye surgeons (ophthalmologists), optometrists and nurses. You may work in multidisciplinary teams dealing with, for example, children or stroke patients.

How to become an orthoptist

To become an orthoptist you’ll need to train and study for an undergraduate degree. Entry requirements vary depending on where you’d like to study. You can find the orthoptics course to suit you using the  Course Finder tool on the health careers website

Paramedics hold an incredibly responsible and dynamic position, often serving as the senior ambulance service healthcare professional in a wide range of emergency and non-emergency situations. At Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, you’d be among the first healthcare professionals to arrive on scene, making a crucial difference when it matters most.

Your Working Life as a Paramedic

As a paramedic, you’re typically the senior member of a two-person ambulance crew, supported by an emergency care assistant or technician. As Elisha, a paramedic, shares, “Most of all, I love the feeling that I’ve helped others in their moment of need.” While often in an ambulance, you might also work independently, using a motorbike, emergency response car, or even a bicycle to reach patients quickly. There are also opportunities to provide expert advice over the telephone from a control room or clinical ‘hub’.

Your primary role involves assessing a patient’s condition and making potentially life-saving decisions on whether they can be treated at the scene or require transfer to a hospital. In non-life-threatening situations, your professional judgment will guide key clinical decisions. In emergencies, you’ll skillfully utilize high-tech equipment like defibrillators, spinal and traction splints, and intravenous drips, alongside administering oxygen and essential drugs. You’ll be trained to operate what is essentially a mobile emergency clinic, capable of resuscitating and stabilizing patients using sophisticated techniques, equipment, and medications. For instance, you might be called to a serious incident, like someone who has fallen from scaffolding, or to provide urgent care for an elderly person with a suspected stroke.

Beyond direct patient contact, you’ll also compassionately interact with relatives, friends, and members of the public, some of whom may be highly distressed or aggressive. Collaborative working is key, and you’ll frequently liaise with the police and fire and rescue services.

Based at a local ambulance station, your work will involve shifts, including evenings and weekends, responding to calls in all weathers, at any hour. You’ll work closely with various healthcare teams across the community, such as GPs, occupational therapists, mental health teams, diabetes specialists, and hospital emergency department doctors and nurses. As your career progresses, you’ll also have numerous opportunities for further higher education and professional development.

For more information view the health careers pages related to becoming a paramedic.

Physiotherapists work with people to help with a range of problems which affect movement using exercise, massage and other techniques.

Working life

You’ll help and treat people with physical problems caused by illness, injury, disability or ageing. You’ll see human movement as central to the health and wellbeing of individuals so they aim to identify and maximise movement. As well as treating people, you promote good health and advise people on how to avoid injury.

You’ll treat many types of conditions, such as:

• neurological (stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s)
• neuromusculoskeletal (back pain, whiplash associated disorder, sports injuries, arthritis)
• cardiovascular (chronic heart disease, rehabilitation after heart attack)
• respiratory (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis)

Once they have diagnosed the client’s movement problem, you’ll then work with the patient to  decide how to treat it. This could include:

• manual therapy (such as massage)
• therapeutic exercise
• electrotherapy (such as ultrasound, heat or cold)

In the NHS, you may work in hospitals where you’re needed in nearly every department. In intensive care, for example, you’re needed for round-the-clock chest physiotherapy to keep unconscious patients breathing.

You may also work in:

• outpatients’ departments
• women’s health
• elderly care
• stroke services
• orthopaedics
• mental health and learning disability services
• occupational health
• paediatrics

More physiotherapy is also being delivered in the local community so you could be based in health centres and  treat patients in their own homes, nursing homes, day centres or schools.

You could also work outside the NHS, for example in:

• private hospitals and clinics
• sports clubs and gyms
• private practice

Wherever you work, you can choose from a range of equipment to use with patients such as gyms, hydrotherapy and high-tech equipment for specialist therapy.

You may work alone or in a team alongside health and/or social care professionals. Depending on where you work, this could include occupational therapists, GPs, health visitors, district nurses and social workers. You may supervise the work of support workers such as physiotherapy assistants.

Outside the NHS, you could work with sports coaches or personal trainers.

Want to know more?

Visit the health careers pages

Podiatry is an exciting and varied career. It offers you the chance to make a difference, a high degree of flexibility and excellent employment prospects. You’ll work with patients every day to help improve their care and their lives.

Working life

You’ll work with people who have difficulties carrying out these activities because of disability, illness, trauma, ageing, and a range of long term conditions.

“Occupational therapy allows you to make a difference to people’s lives across the community which is something that really appeals to me about the career.” Rachel Rule, occupational therapy student.

Read Rachel’s story in full

What you’ll do as an occupational therapist

You’ll see a huge variety of patients and help them with many different issues as an occupational therapist. Some examples of things you might work on include:

• helping someone adapt to life after major surgery
• helping people suffering from mental illness get back into everyday activities such as work or volunteering
• helping elderly people stay in their own homes by providing adaptations such as level access showers or stair lifts

Variety is one of the most exciting things about being an occupational therapist. As well as seeing different patients and conditions you’ll also have the opportunity to work in a multi-disciplinary team in a range of settings from hospitals and clinics to charities, prisons and social services departments

You’ll find solutions to everyday problems, for example:

• advising on how to approach a task differently
• using equipment or assistive technology
• adapting the living or working environment
• finding strategies to meet an individual’s goals

Illness, injury, disability or ageing can make ordinary tasks such daily care (washing, dressing, eating), work or education and leisure harder to do. You’ll help people find ways to continue with activities that are important to them. This might involve learning new ways to do things, or making changes to their environment to make things easier.

As well as working with individual patients and their families, occupational therapists work with groups. They work in teams with other health professionals. They may also supervise the work of occupational therapy support workers.

How to become an occupational therapist

To become an occupational therapist you’ll need to train and study at undergraduate degree level (through a full-time course or degree apprenticeship) or if you already have a relevant degree, at Masters level through a 2-year accelerated programme. Entry requirements vary depending on where you’d like to study. You can search for occupational therapy courses using our Course Finder tool.

Find out more about entry requirements and training to become an occupational therapist

“Helping to find solutions and deliver therapy that improves children’s health and quality of life is really satisfying.” Anne Gordon, paediatric occupational therapist

Read Anne’s story in full

Want to know more?

Visit the podiatry pages on the health careers site.

Speech & Language Therapy is an exciting and varied career. It offers you the chance to make a difference, a high degree of flexibility and excellent employment prospects. You’ll work with patients every day to help improve their care and their lives.

Working life

Speech and language therapists provide life-changing treatment, support and care for children and adults who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing.You’ll help people who, for physical or psychological reasons, have problems speaking and communicating. Patients range from children whose speech is slow to develop, to older people whose ability to speak has been impaired by illness or injury. It also includes treatment for those who have difficulty with eating or swallowing.

What you’ll do as a speech and language therapist

You’ll see a huge variety of patients and help them with many different issues as a speech and language therapist. Some examples of things you might work on include:

• helping adults and children with learning difficulties communicate with others
• helping people overcome their stammering
• helping adults with speech difficulties as a result of head, neck or throat cancer

Variety is one of the most exciting things about being a speech and language therapist. As well as seeing different patients and conditions you’ll also have the opportunity to work in a multi-disciplinary team in a range of settings from hospitals to community clinics to the homes of patients.

You’ll also help children with:

• mild, moderate or severe learning difficulties
• physical disabilities
• language delay
• specific difficulties in producing sounds
• hearing impairment
• cleft lip and palate
• stammering
• autism/social interaction difficulties
• dyslexia
• voice disorders
• selective mutism
• mental health
• developmental language disorder.

You’ll help adults with:

• communication or eating and swallowing problems following neurological impairments and degenerative conditions, including stroke, head injury, Parkinson’s disease and dementia
• voice problems
• mental health issues
• learning difficulties
• physical disabilities
• stammering
• hearing impairment

You would also work closely with teachers and other health professionals, such as doctors, nurses and psychologists. They may also supervise the work of speech and language therapy assistants.

How to become a speech and language therapist

To become a speech and language therapist you’ll need to train and study at degree or postgraduate level. Entry requirements vary depending on where you’d like to study. You can find the speech and language therapy course to suit you using our Course Finder tool. A degree apprenticeship standard has also been approved.

Want to know more?

Visit the Health Careers pages related to speech and language therapy