Senior Clinical Fellow in Ophthalmology Vitroretinal

Job overview

Applications are invited for the post of Vitreoretinal Fellow. We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated doctor with post-graduate experience in Ophthalmology at Clinical Fellow level or above. A higher qualification in Ophthalmology would be an advantage. The successful candidate would join the Ophthalmology team at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust with duties at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, Burnley General Teaching Hospital and other outreach sites.

The department offers subspecialty interests in Vitreoretinal surgery ,Medical Retina, Paediatrics, Oculoplastic, Diabetic Eye Disease, Anterior segment including corneal transplantation and Glaucoma. The Unit is supported by highly trained Nurse Practitioners and a substantial orthoptic department. There is active inservice training and monthly clinical audit meetings. The department is well equipped with UNITY Vitreoretinal Cataract System, Argon, YAG and SLT lasers, OCT, OCT angio and digital fundal imaging systems. The Consultants are very proactive and would make every effort to provide training in medical and surgical in the appropriate sub specialities.

Main duties of the job

Introduction & Background

The successful applicant will join a Consultant led clinical team covering all aspects of Ophthalmology services.  This is a fixed term post for 12 months.

The Eye Unit provides a comprehensive Ophthalmology service with a catchment area of approximately 521,000 people.

The service encompasses of outpatient clinics (conducted at the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General Teaching Hospitals), an emergency eye service at Burnley General Teaching Hospital and a dedicated twin theatre suite based on the Burnley site. In addition, we have outreach clinics at Accrington, Rossendale and Clitheroe. The medical team includes Consultants, Associate Specialists, Specialty Doctors, Staff Grades and also trainees at ST 1 - 6 level.  There is a subspecialty lead structure in place.  The current medical staff is as follows:

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The medical team work closely with the nursing team and also with a range of technical, orthoptic and optometrist staff who offer support with visual field tests, OCT, photography, Glaucoma screening, follow up and other extended clinical roles.

Outpatient Department (RBH)

The outpatient department is a purpose built unit consisting of clinic rooms with state of the art computer and digital dictation equipment. There are dedicated rooms for visual field assessment, orthoptic assessment, OCT, FFA, Pascal, SLT and YAG Laser, Intravitreal injections and Minor Operations.

Clinics

A variety of general and specialist clinics take place.  These include Cataract, Medical Retina, Cornea, Diabetic Eye Disease, Macular, Glaucoma, Paediatric Ophthalmology, Oculoplastics and Intravitreal injections. In addition there are Nurse led A&E, Cataract, Glaucoma and Intravitreal injection clinics.

The Unit also runs an emergency service based at Burnley General Teaching Hospital.

Surgery

The Unit performs around 4,686 operations a year of which a significant proportion are Phacoemulsification procedures, the vast majority of which are undertaken under topical anesthesia. In addition there is a well-established Vitreo-Retinal, Oculoplastic, Paediatric and Corneal Transplantation, Glaucoma and medical retina service.

There are two dedicated Ophthalmic theatres with modern microsurgical facilities, two Infinity Phacoemulsification machines and an constellation machine that was recently acquired for Vitreoretinal surgery.

The strategic aims of the Ophthalmology Department are:

• To provide up-to-date, friendly and efficient care in areas of general ophthalmology and to facilitate referral to specialist care as appropriate.

• To keep waiting times for outpatient and inpatient care within the Trust guidelines.

• To work with NICE, CCG, or local guidelines for the best provision of care within established financial boundaries

• To meet standards set out in government directives e.g. "Action on Cataracts", and to formulate and follow pathways formulated for such purpose .