Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is a health profession concerned with helping people recover movement, function, and independence following injury, illness, surgery, or long-term conditions. Physiotherapists work with people across the full lifespan, from premature babies to elderly patients managing chronic disease, and in settings ranging from NHS hospitals and community clinics to sports organisations, schools, and private practice. The profession draws on knowledge of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, neuroscience, and psychology, and demands both scientific competence and the interpersonal skill to work effectively with patients who are often in pain or experiencing significant functional limitation.

At London South Bank University, this three-year full-time Physiotherapy programme includes a foundation year available for students who benefit from additional scientific preparation before entering the main degree. The programme is rooted in both theoretical understanding and practical skill development, with thirty weeks of clinical placement across a variety of health settings built into the course. These placements are an essential component of your training, giving you real patient contact, supervised clinical practice, and the opportunity to develop your professional identity alongside qualified physiotherapists.

The programme aligns with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy's vision for the profession, grounding your training in current evidence-based practice.

You will develop skills in clinical assessment and reasoning, therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, electrotherapy, and rehabilitation, as well as the reflective and critical capacities that allow you to continue developing throughout your professional career. Communication, empathy, and the ability to manage uncertainty are as central to effective physiotherapy as technical competence.

Graduates are eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council, which is required to practise as a physiotherapist in the UK. Career settings include the NHS, private clinics, sport, occupational health, paediatrics, and care of older people. With experience, physiotherapists move into specialist clinical roles, management, education, and research.

Postgraduate study is available for those wishing to develop expertise in a particular clinical area.