Ophthalmic Healthcare Support Worker

Job overview

The Ophthalmology Department are recruiting a Band 3 Ophthalmic Healthcare Support Worker here at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.

You will be working together as part of a multidisciplinary, professional team to assist the registered nurses and senior clinical staff in the planning, delivery and evaluation of care; by assisting the nursing staff to improve and maintain high standards of care, health and well-being of patients through assessment, treatment and rehabilitation, within the unit under indirect supervision.

Our staff are committed to providing high standards of individualized care for the people who use our services, whilst maintaining their privacy and dignity at all times. The post holder will provide an efficient specialised support service to patients allocated for diagnostic testing and assessment.

Main duties of the job

• Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases of the eye and visual system. The eye, its surrounding structures and the visual system can be affected by a number of clinical conditions. Eye health services are becoming more and more important as the UK population ages.
• An ageing population means there are more and more incidences of age-related diseases of the eye, such as age-related macular degeneration. These eye diseases can be successfully treated if caught early, and can be managed effectively with existing treatments and medicines.
• As an ophthalmic healthcare support worker, you will need to have worked in the ophthalmic unit for a period of twelve months and achieved the competencies expected. As the Ophthalmic Healthcare Support Worker, you will undertake ophthalmic assessment including visual acuity assessments, iCare ocular pressure measurements, ophthalmic diagnostics, Schirmer’s Test, (when competency pack completed) as required.
• You will work alongside qualified professionals and participate in the delivery of planned care. Much of this role requires use of VDU equipment, Ophthalmic diagnostics, with frequent long periods of sitting or standing. Frequent use of a range of web-based systems such as Medisight and other IT software.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• As an ophthalmic healthcare support worker you will exercise an agreed degree of professional autonomy to make judgements and decisions in order to satisfy the expectations and demands of the role. You will develop an understanding and knowledge of the the anatomy and physiology of the eye to perform ophthalmic diagnostic tests tests on patients presenting with a variety of ophthalmic conditions.
• You will prioritise own tasks under the direction of appropriate professional. Having an awareness of Ophthalmology care recognising and reporting all adverse findings to the appropriate professional.
• As a ophthalmic Healthcare Support Worker you will be supporting the ophthalmic service as well as being expected to work in peripheral clinics and or theatre environments independently with clinicians.

Further vacancy details can be found on the Job Description.