Specialist Stroke Orthoptist - Croydon

Job overview

Moorfields Eye Hospital is looking for an enthusiastic Orthoptists to join the team working at it's Croydon University Hospital site.

The role is to be the sole lead in screening, diagnosing and managing acute visual symptoms in newly diagnosed stroke patients at Croydon University Hospital and to be lead specialist in all issues relating to stroke/acquired brain injury patients and their rehabilitation.

The service has a full complement of ophthalmic sub-specialty services, optometry and orthoptic lead, and orthoptic only clinics. We support student clinical placements and wider educational delivery.

Main duties of the job

The main clinic duties include:

• As an autonomous practitioner to be legally and professionally responsible and accountable for the management of patients in the Orthoptic clinic.
• To be the Lead Specialist Orthoptist in referral, treatment, management and discharge of all patients in the Orthoptic Stroke Service.
• To attend regular ward rounds with Neurologists, screening suitable patients who would benefit from Orthoptic input and organise suitable times for their assessments.
• Work as a MDT team member and autonomous practitioner in Orthoptic service.

The main administrative duties include:

• To take sole responsibility for all specialist tasks relating to the Orthoptic Stroke Service, including:
• Maintenance of the appointment system, ensuring that all patients are appointed in a timely manner, in accordance with the Care Pathway (including updating the Stroke Service Database following each clinic, acting as a failsafe mechanism).
• Ensure that communication is upheld with the patient and all colleagues involved in the patient’s care i.e. Stroke Physicians, GP’s and Occupational Therapists.
• To carry out routine administrative tasks to ensure the smooth running of the service, including operation of the records and appointments systems.
• To liaise with the Lead Orthoptist to achieve adequate clinic profiling.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The main duties are listed as above but also include:

• To assess, diagnose, treat, continually review and discharge Orthoptic patients at Moorfields Eye Hospital and its satellite clinics, as appropriate. This will include the instillation of eye drops using the agreed PGD or as required by the Ophthalmologist. The patients may be children or adults and may have special needs such as learning difficulties or visual impairment.
• To undertake the highly skilled assessment of very young babies with sight defects, children and adults with special needs or those who may be severely mentally, physically or educationally disabled.
• To individually and/or in conjunction with colleagues, formulate individualised treatment plans for children and adults, including instruction for courses of home treatment as appropriate.
• To provide condition related information to patients, relatives and other medical staff. (Sometimes of a sensitive or complex nature) Undertake sensitive discussion with patients/guardians regarding poor vision (i.e. partial sight). For example in the specialist area, communicating to patients that they will no longer be able to drive due to their sight problems.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.