Hospital Orthoptist

Job details

• Job reference: 256908
• Salary: Band 6 (£43,231 - £52,679)
• Job closing date: 31/08/2026
• Job Type: Allied Health Professions
• Location: Borders General Hospital
• Employment type: Permanent
• Hours Per Week: 36
• Job posted date: 17/08/2026
• Employer (NHS Board): NHS Borders
• Department: Ophthalmology

OUR VALUES IN ACTION

• Compassion
• Kindness
• Integrity
• Teamwork
• Excellence

Hospital Orthoptist, Band 6 (Annex 21**)

Permanent

Hours of Work: 36 hours / week

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated Specialist Orthoptist, with a special interest in glaucoma, to join our friendly and supportive team at the Borders Eye Centre, Melrose. The successful candidate joins the orthoptic and ophthalmology team which includes Ophthalmologists, Nurses, Technicians, Healthcare Assistants, Eye Clinic Liaison Officer and administrative staff.

We welcome applications from experienced and newly qualified Orthoptists and are committed to supporting your career growth. All newly qualified Orthoptists will be required to complete the NHS Flying Start and BIOS Preceptorship Programmes. You will need to meet the requirements of the programme within your first year of practice and full support will be given to you for this. You will progress to a Band 6 after completion of the Preceptorship programmes and having evidence of upholding the professional standards and competencies as set out by BIOS and HCPC. Where necessary, full training in the assessment and management of glaucoma will be provided, and competencies and standards will need to be met.

** Please note, in the case of a newly qualified practitioner the Annex 21 applies **

For trainees covered by Annex 21, where the period of training lasts for between 1 and 4 years, pay will be adjusted as follows:

(i) up to 12 months prior to completion of training: 75 per cent of the pay band maximum of the fully qualified rate

(ii) more than one but less than two years prior to completion of training: 70 per cent of the pay band maximum of the qualified rate

(iii) more than two but less than three years prior to completion of training: 65 per cent of the pay band maximum for the qualified rate

(iv) more than three years from completion of training: 60 per cent of the pay band maximum for the qualified rate.

For further guidance on an Annex 21, please follow this link – Annex 21 – arrangement for pay and banding of trainees.

We are looking for an autonomous practitioner who will assess, diagnose, and manage patients referred into the orthoptic service using evidence-based practice. Your role will involve adult and paediatric motility patients, including patients referred from A + E, maxillofacial and neurology departments. You will be involved in the Pre-school Vision Screening Programme and reading difficulties clinic. You will practice independently, but support and advice will be available as required. This post would be of interest to a candidate keen to train and develop in the area of glaucoma, and to seize wider development opportunities as they arise.

As a teaching department, your role would involve providing practice-based learning to undergraduate Orthoptic students, and other professionals as required.

The post will be based in the Borders General Hospital but will include travel to outreach clinics.

For further information please contact Dr Joanne Forster – telephone 01896 826771, email jo.forster@nhs.scot

Whether you’re early in your career or looking to take the next step into a more senior role, NHS Borders offers a supportive environment where you can grow, influence change, and make a real impact.

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***

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