Are Medical Occupational Therapists in Demand in the UK?

Are Medical Occupational Therapists in Demand in the UK?

You may be an overseas occupational therapist, thinking that you’d like to relocate and continue your healthcare career in the UK. One of the careers that might interest you is a medical occupational therapist. This is a health professional who is concerned with people as they conduct their everyday activities – they might be experiencing difficulties managing these activities due to injury, underlying health conditions or illness.

Read this blog to find out more about the medical occupational therapy role, whether there is demand in the UK for the job, and how much you might expect to be paid.

What do Medical Occupational Therapists do?

Medical Occupational Therapists (MOTs) provide a variety of support to people whose health can prevent them from doing activities that make up their everyday lives. These activities may include getting dressed each morning, visiting family members, going to the shops and gardening. MOTs help people to work out practical solutions to the challenges they face, with the aim to get people living as independent lives as possible.

There are of course differences in occupational therapy roles depending on what Band the roles falls under. Read our blog to find out the differences between Band 5 and Band 6 roles.

Is there Demand in the UK for Occupational Therapists?

Yes. Although there are currently over 41,000 occupational therapists working in the UK, there’s still a large shortage with the role being included on the UK’s Shortage Occupations List.

How Much do Occupational Therapists Get Paid?

The salary of an Occupational Therapist (OTs) will differ depending on the Band/type of the role. Some examples:

- Specialist OTs can earn from £31,365 - £37,890 (Band 6)

- Medical OTs can earn £32,306 - £39,027 (Band 6)

- Highly specialist OTs can earn: £38,890 - £42,503 (Band 7)

- At consultant level, OTs can typically earn from £45,753 - £62,001 (Bands 8a and 8b)

More information on NHS pay Bands here.

We’re currently recruiting for the following Occupational Therapy roles:

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