Specialist Orthoptist

Job details

• Job reference: 251164
• Salary: Band 6 (£43,231 - £52,679)
• Job closing date: 30/07/2026
• Job Type: Allied Health Professions
• Location: Queen Margaret Hospital
• Employment type: Permanent
• Hours Per Week: 36
• Job posted date: 16/07/2026
• Employer (NHS Board): NHS Fife
• Department: Orthoptic

We are looking for a specialist orthoptist to join the orthoptic team in NHS Fife. The orthoptic team deliver services to a wide range of paediatric and adult patients working autonomously within an orthoptic caseload and in partnership with medical teams including Ophthalmology, Maxillofacial, Stroke teams and Neurology.

We also provide visual screening to an annual population of 4,500 children. A certain amount of travel between sites will be necessary as the department operates across two hospital sites as well as providing a community orthoptic service.

This post would suit an orthoptist with experience as there are elements of lone working as part of the role. Opportunities to be involved in practice based learning as part of our commitment to undergraduate orthoptics programmes as well as teaching of hospital staff/pre reg. optometrists are available. Research/audit activity is actively encouraged with regular in-service training within the department.

We work closely with community optometrists and visual impairment services in the local area. Candidates must hold a diploma/degree in Orthoptics and be registered with the Health Professions Council. Fife is situated within a commutable distance from Edinburgh and the central belt of Scotland.

Informal enquiries: can be addressed to Dr Jennifer Skillen, Head Orthoptist on 01592 643355 ext 28400 or via email on jennifer.skillen@nhs.scot.

A requirement of this post is to become a member of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme Prior to appointment.

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.

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.

We offer flexible working and family-friendly policies and fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long-term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your application—but your answers must be your own.

• Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
• Use AI wisely: It’s fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don’t let it write your answers.
• Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI-generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.

Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you—not an AI tool.

We are looking for a specialist orthoptist to join the orthoptic team in NHS Fife. The orthoptic team deliver services to a wide range of paediatric and adult patients working autonomously within an orthoptic caseload and in partnership with medical teams including Ophthalmology, Maxillofacial, Stroke teams and Neurology.

We also provide visual screening to an annual population of 4,500 children. A certain amount of travel between sites will be necessary as the department operates across two hospital sites as well as providing a community orthoptic service.

This post would suit an orthoptist with experience as there are elements of lone working as part of the role. Opportunities to be involved in practice based learning as part of our commitment to undergraduate orthoptics programmes as well as teaching of hospital staff/pre reg. optometrists are available. Research/audit activity is actively encouraged with regular in-service training within the department.

We work closely with community optometrists and visual impairment services in the local area. Candidates must hold a diploma/degree in Orthoptics and be registered with the Health Professions Council. Fife is situated within a commutable distance from Edinburgh and the central belt of Scotland.

Informal enquiries: can be addressed to Dr Jennifer Skillen, Head Orthoptist on 01592 643355 ext 28400 or via email on jennifer.skillen@nhs.scot.

A requirement of this post is to become a member of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme Prior to appointment.

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.

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.

We offer flexible working and family-friendly policies and fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long-term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your application—but your answers must be your own.

• Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
• Use AI wisely: It’s fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don’t let it write your answers.
• Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI-generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.

Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you—not an AI tool.