Specialist Optometrist

Job overview

Specialist Optometrist

Part time (22.5 per week) or Full time (37.5 per week) will be considered.

Permanent

Salary: £53,755 - £60,504 per annum pro rata

Closing Date: 2nd May 2025

Interview Date: 20th May 2025

**This post may close early due to high numbers of applications, so you are advised to apply promptly. **

All correspondence for this vacancy will be sent by email; please check your account regularly including your Junk and SPAM areas.

A great and friendly place to work, so bring your passion, commitment and expertise and enjoy the opportunities to make a difference every day.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces Community – get in touch to find out more

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** We are happy to support candidates who are either interested or have started their independent prescribers course **

• The post holder will have clinical responsibility for the specialist paediatric and adult refraction clinics.
• To be an autonomous practitioner providing highly skilled and specialised HES optometric services to George Eliot Hospital Nuneaton (GEH).
• The post holder will participate in multi-disciplinary Paediatric diagnosis and management clinics, working under the direction of the lead Consultants assessing both new and follow up patients.
• To work closely with the Ophthalmology Management to deliver a comprehensive range of specialist optometric services to the highest standards of quality and patient care.

Main duties of the job

• To undertake full range of optometry services as required, providing expert treatment and advice.
• To appropriately assess, examine, investigate, diagnose and treat patients resulting in the safe management of patients, autonomously formulate appropriate management plans for patients.
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of own level of responsibility and autonomy and the limits of own competence and professional scope of practice, including when working with complexity, risk, uncertainty and incomplete information.
• Prescribe and review medication (as an independent prescriber) for therapeutic effectiveness appropriate to patient need and in accordance with best/evidence-based practice and national and local protocols and within the role’s scope of practice and legal framework.
• Ability to order and interpret diagnostic pathological, microbial, and/or radiographic investigations (e.g. blood tests, ocular swabs, MRI etc) using findings to initiate treatment.
• To develop virtual clinics, within own advanced sub-specialty role, in line with the service demands. Developed scope of advanced clinical skills and practice to meet changing needs of service.
• Need for high levels of continuous concentration requiring working under significant pressure, with frequent interruptions from other clinical staff requiring advice.
• To support consultants on the day of surgery by conducting slit lamp examinations to ensure all patient history remains up to date.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• The post holder is required to contribute to the teaching, audit, and clinical governance requirements of the Ophthalmology service. Ophthalmology staff work as part of a multidisciplinary team and all members contribute to providing a high-quality service for its users.
• If the post holder is a registered independent non- medical prescriber, to prescribe medicines for patients, working within the GEH Policy and Procedure for Non- medical Prescribing and Directorate’s local guidelines/procedures.
• To ensure prescribing activities comply with legal requirements and HCPC guidance for non-medical prescribers. To maintain competence under the National Competency Framework for all Prescribers. To monitor own prescribing activities and participate in the evaluation of this service development.
• To be an autonomous practitioner providing highly skilled and specialised HES optometric services to George Eliot Hospital Nuneaton (GEH).
• To work closely with the Ophthalmology Management to deliver a comprehensive range of specialist optometric services to the highest standards of quality and patient care.
• The post holder will have clinical responsibility for the specialist paediatric and adult refraction clinics.
• Patients may have specific learning difficulties, special needs, various degrees of visual disability and varying communication skills.
• The post holder will participate in multi-disciplinary Paediatric diagnosis and management clinics, working under the direction of the lead Consultants assessing both new and follow up patients.
• The post holder is required to contribute to the teaching, audit, and clinical governance requirements of the Ophthalmology service. Ophthalmology staff work as part of a multidisciplinary team and all members contribute to providing a high-quality service for its users.
• If the post holder is a registered independent non- medical prescriber, to prescribe medicines for patients, working within the GEH Policy and Procedure for Non- medical Prescribing and Directorate’s local guidelines/procedures.
• To ensure prescribing activities comply with legal requirements and HCPC guidance for non-medical prescribers. To maintain competence under the National Competency Framework for all Prescribers. To monitor own prescribing activities and participate in the evaluation of this service development.

For a full comprehensive list of main responsibilities and duties, please kindly refer to job description and personal specification attached.