Hospital Optometrist

OUR VALUES IN ACTION

• Care and Compassion • Quality and Teamwork • Dignity and Respect • Openness, honesty and responsibility

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and clinically focused Optometrist to join the team at the Borders Eye Centre, based at Borders General Hospital.

We welcome applications from candidates seeking to gain valuable hospital experience and an opportunity for sub-specialty training.

Role Overview

The successful candidate(s) will work within the Eye Centre, delivering core hospital optometry services including:

• Paediatric assessments
• Subspecialty clinics - glaucoma, medical retina
• General acute services

Training and support will be provided in the area of your interest to help develop the necessary clinical skills and confidence to deliver these services effectively. There will also be opportunities to contribute to the development of other professional groups and support students within the department.

Candidate Requirements

• Experience in optometry
• Current registration with the General Optical Council (GOC)

Please note: the salary quoted is for full-time hours (36 hrs per week). For appointments to part-time hours, the salary will be pro-rata.

As from 1st April 2026, the Agenda for Change full-time working week will be reducing from 37 to 36 hours per week. Part time hours will be reduced pro-rata. However, there will be a corresponding increase in the hourly rate so that pay will not be affected.

Due to legislative changes from 1 April 2025, this post may require a different level of criminal records check done than is currently the case. If the post is assessed as a "regulated role", your appointment will be subject to joining the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. If there is any change to what is currently required, this will be confirmed by either the Hiring Manager or the Recruitment Team. For more details on these changes please visit: Disclosure Scotland Changes.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.

For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licenced Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form.

**PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept late applications so please ensure your application is submitted early***

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.