Physiotherapist CV Examples

A UK physiotherapist CV runs to two pages and follows reverse-chronological order. Put HCPC registration and CSP membership at the top (in a certifications section or immediately after contact details) so recruiters see it first. Open with a personal statement that names your registration status, years of experience or placement structure, clinical specialisms, and the band or role you're targeting. Follow with a core skills section listing physio-specific techniques (manual therapy, exercise prescription, gait analysis, electrotherapy) matched to the job advert for ATS. Your experience section is the heart of the CV: write 3–4 bullets per role using Context-Action-Result and quantify clinical outcomes wherever possible. New graduates should detail their placement structure (e.g. six 5-week placements plus one elective) and list each setting, patient group, and key learning outcome. Education comes next, with degree classification and total placement hours noted. Close with a CPD section or additional-info block showing recent courses, reflective learning, and any publications or audits. Tailor every section to the target specialism (MSK, neuro, respiratory, paediatrics) by naming the patient groups and settings you've worked with.

Physiotherapy experience bullets must show what you did, how you did it, and what changed for the patient. Use the Context-Action-Result method: set the clinical context (patient group, caseload size, setting), describe your intervention (assessment, manual therapy, exercise prescription, MDT coordination), and quantify the outcome (ROM improvement, pain score reduction, discharge rate, patient satisfaction). Numbers make the difference between a duty list and a results-focused CV.

Before: "Provided physiotherapy to MSK patients in an outpatient setting."

After: "Managed a caseload of 18 MSK outpatients per week, achieving 87% patient-reported improvement in pain and function scores at discharge through individualised exercise prescription and manual therapy."

Before: "Worked with stroke patients on the neuro ward."

After: "Delivered post-stroke rehabilitation to 25 inpatients, achieving 72% discharge-to-home rate and average Barthel Index improvement of 20 points over 4-week admissions."

Before: "Responsible for respiratory physiotherapy and airway clearance."

After: "Reduced hospital readmission rate by 18% for COPD patients through tailored airway clearance techniques and patient education on self-management, treating 40 patients over 12 months."

Action verbs for physiotherapists: assessed, designed, delivered, achieved, reduced, improved, coordinated, supervised, led, implemented, educated, rehabilitated, progressed, discharged, collaborated.

New graduates without post-qualification experience should write placement bullets the same way, naming the setting, patient group, and outcomes. For example: "Supported rehabilitation for 10 post-operative knee patients during 5-week MSK placement, achieving 85% ROM recovery within treatment period through progressive exercise prescription and manual therapy."

Always include MDT collaboration and discharge planning in at least one bullet per role. Recruiters assess whether you can work safely within a team and plan onward care, so make it explicit: "Coordinated discharge planning with occupational therapy, nursing, and social services in weekly MDT meetings, reducing average length of stay by 2.3 days for elderly rehabilitation patients."

All UK physiotherapists must hold a degree approved by the HCPC and complete at least 1,000 hours of clinical practice placements to qualify for registration. List your degree with the full title (Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy or Master of Science in Physiotherapy), classification (First, 2:1, 2:2), and the total placement hours completed. New graduates should add a bullet noting the placement structure (e.g. "Completed seven clinical placements totalling 1,000 hours: six 5-week placements across MSK, neuro, respiratory, elderly care, paediatrics, and acute medicine, plus one 5-week elective in sports physiotherapy"). If you completed a particularly strong dissertation or project relevant to your target role, note the title and grade.

Certifications belong in a dedicated achievements or professional-registration section near the top of your CV. Always include HCPC registration number and CSP membership status. Add any postgraduate certificates (MSc Advanced Physiotherapy, PGCert MSK, PGCert Neuro), injection therapy qualifications (APPI Level 1–3), manual therapy courses (Maitland, Mulligan, Bobath), and resuscitation certificates (ILS, ALS). If you're a CSP-accredited practice educator, list it here too.

CPD is an HCPC requirement, and leaving it out makes your CV look stale. Include a CPD bullet or short section listing recent courses, workshops, and reflective learning. Name the course, provider, and date (e.g. "Completed 'Shoulder Rehabilitation Masterclass' (CSP, March 2026) and 'Clinical Reasoning in Complex MSK Cases' (MACP, November 2025)"). If you've published, presented, or led an audit, add it under publications or additional info.