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Job overview
Love Life, Love Bristol and Weston.
At Bristol NHS Foundation Trust we are passionate about delivering outstanding care and developing innovative services for the communities we serve. Bristol Eye Hospital (BEH) is looking to grow its talented team of consultants to help drive an ambitious future vision for ophthalmology services across Bristol and Weston. See Yourself at Bristol Eye Hospital (subtitles) on Vimeo
Applications are warmly welcomed for this full time, locum post in the department of Paediatric Ophthalmology, ideally commencing Autumn 2026. Initially the post will be for six months but could be extended to12 months.
The post is designed to provide sub-specialist and general paediatric ophthalmology care for children in the Bristol region (500K population) and sub-specialised care for children referred in from the surrounding Southwest region (1.5 million population) including patients cared for in the adjacent Bristol Royal Children’s Hospital – a regional referral hub for Paediatric Neurosciences, Genetics and other specialities.
Main duties of the job
Ideally candidates will have a paediatric subspecialty interest to complement the existing interests in the department. The postholder could join the Consultants on-call rota if wanted but it is not compulsory. As the post has no surgical sessions, we could signpost interested candidates to other local providers of cataract surgery.
The BEH is a highly regarded Regional Centre for Ophthalmology which sits within the Division of Surgery at Bristol Foundation Trust (recently rated Outstanding by the CQC). BEH provides a local and tertiary referral paediatric ophthalmology service with a close links to the regional Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and the two Level 3 neonatal units (St Michaels Hospital and Southmead hospital). The paediatric and strabismus departments are supported by specialist orthoptists, optometrists and nurses and imagers.
Join us and enjoy all that the South West region has to offer. Bristol is an amazingly diverse city, with its community feel, quality housing and outstanding schools, plus many music venues, galleries and festivals that drive its creative reputation. Alternatively, if you’re looking for country living, we are only a few miles away from many picturesque villages and small towns in Gloucestershire and Somerset, which are all within commuter distance.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities please refer to the Job Description document attached and contact us.
Interview date TBC
Person specification
Others
Essential
- Meets professional health requirements
- Willingness to travel to and work in other sites necessitated by the role.
Management and Leadership
Essential
- Evidence of management training and evidence of learning from it
- Ability to organise efficient and smooth running of a specialist service
- Ability to cope with and effectively organise the workload of a consultant
- Ability to practice independently as a consultant
- Ability to take on responsibility and show evidence of leadership
- Ability to work under pressure and cope with setbacks
Desirable
- Demonstration of knowledge of NHS management structures
- Management experience
Clinical Governance and Audit
Essential
- Understanding of clinical governance and the individual responsibilities it implies
- Knowledge of the principles of clinical audit and evidence of participation
- Positive approach to evidence based practice
- Participation in continuing professional development (CPD) scheme with evidence
Research, Teaching and Training
Essential
- Knowledge of the principles involved in research
- Evidence of involvement in research
- Evidence of peer review research papers
- Experience of teaching medical students.
- Experience of supervising trainees
- Knowledge of teaching to a multidisciplinary team
Desirable
- Ability to increase the academic profile of the department
- Formal teaching qualification
Qualifications, Training and Experience
Essential
- Full and specialist registration in either AIM or GIM with the General Medical Council (GMC) OR Eligible for specialist registration within six months of interview - *Locum candidates do not need specialist registration
- Evidence of thorough and broad training and experience in Paediatric Ophthalmology including ROP screening
- Able to take responsibility for delivering service without direct supervision
- Up to date knowledge and experience of relevant specialty
- Knowledge of NHS priorities with reference to specialty
Desirable
- Higher academic qualification e.g. MD, PhD or equivalent
- Previous Paediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship or TSC (Trainee Selected Component) in Paediatric Ophthalmology
- ROP treatment experience
- Evidence of a special interest and expertise that complements the department
- Broad range of IT skills
Personal Abilities, Values, Aptitudes, Working Skills and Communication
Essential
- Ability to communicate effectively with patients, relatives, clinical colleagues, support staff and other colleagues.
- Good knowledge of, and ability to use, spoken and written English.
- Ability to present effectively to an audience, using a variety of methods, and to respond to questions and queries
- Ability to develop effective working relationships on an individual and multi-professional basis with all levels of staff both within and across divisions
- Ability to be a flexible team member
- Ability to adapt and respond to changing circumstances
- Awareness of personal limitations
- Demonstrates the 4 Trust values
Desirable
- Ability to undertake additional professional responsibilities at local, regional or national levels
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Locum Consultant in Paediatric Ophthalmology with University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust in Bristol, South West, England. It is listed as a Consultant Medical doctor Ophthalmology role. The advertised salary is £113,565 - £150,569 pa pro rata. The contract type is Fixed term: 6 months (Extendable to 12 Months). The application deadline is 12 Aug 2026.
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