Job summary
The Specialist Slit Lamp Surveillance Practitioner is senior clinical role within the programme and is a fundamental role as part of our screening surveillance pathway. The Slit Lamp Surveillance Practitioner will undertake the clinical review and grading assessment using a Slit Lamp Biomicroscope, as well as capture fundus images and OCT scans and undertake the grading of digital retinal images at ROG grading level. The post holder will support the SLB training for the wider team, as well as ensuring the highest standards of clinical governance via audit and quality assurance activities.
The role will work predominantly within a named locality team (either Lambeth, Bexley & Greenwich, Bromley or Southwark & Lewisham), however the role will require regular travel across all 4 of our locality teams. The successful applicant will be an enthusiastic professional with proven pre-existing working experience using a Slit lamp biomicroscope, who is comfortable working independently and as part of a team and able to deliver the highest standards of patient care.
The post holder will be required to deliver SLB training, including the development and review of training material. This role would suit an expert screener/grader with experience of grading fundus images at ROG level and making sound outcome decisions using a slit lamp biomicroscope, managing surveillance clinics and ideally, someone with experience of delivering training to others.
Main duties of the job
- Independently managing Diabetic Eye Screening Clinics
- Independently carrying out assessments of the retina using a Slit Lamp bio-microscope
- Independently capturing retinal images using a retinal fundus camera and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scanner
- Reviewing retinal images and OCT scans at a senior level and making appropriate onward management decisions
- Leading on clinical audits
- Actively contributing to the ongoing development & improvement of the Slit Lamp pathway within the programme
- Contribute to, and delivering clinical training and education involving the slit lamp pathway
About us
The South East London Diabetic Eye Screening Programme is one of the largest eye screening programmes in the country, offering screening to over 100,000 patients registered with 240 GP practices throughout South East London. The multi-disciplinary screening team includes optometrists and screener/graders, qualified with the diploma in health screening. The clinical workforce is organised into 4 locality teams based around the hospital ophthalmology services into which each team refers. Each locality team has close links with the lead ophthalmologist and diabetes clinicians within the acute services.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Duties and Responsibilities
- Work autonomously, managing own caseload in community and hospital clinics;
- work constructively with colleagues to ensure clinics operate smoothly;
- instil mydriatic eye drops into the patients eyes, in line with appropriate protocols, recording this information on the IT system;
- capture digital retinal photographs in line with national standards and local protocols;
- Independently carry out Slit Lamp examinations and ensure appropriate onwards management in line with local protocols;
- capture and assess OCT scans for patients with maculopathy and ensure appropriate onward management in line with local protocols;
- Independently carry out Slit Lamp examinations and ensure appropriate onwards management in line with local protocols;
- grade retinal images to referral outcome level, making an assessment of the level of disease in line with local grading protocol and deciding onward management in line with local protocol;
- refer any issues preventing patients being screened on that day to the administration team so that they can rearrange appointments and record this in the patient notes;
- plan own clinical case load and that of others; deal with any telephone and drop in enquires, providing information to patients and colleagues that is commensurate with training and referring any clinical queries to the team leader or clinical lead;
- undertake regular audit and quality assurance of surveillance clinics, reporting outcomes to the programme leadership;
- participate in research activities;
- adjust the camera settings appropriately, and troubleshoot any camera/hardware issues that arise before reporting any problems up the line;
- to be confident with the use of the IT system, finding patients, adding new patients, updating patients and archiving patients in line with screening and administration policies.
Communication Duties and Responsibilities
- Act professionally and courteously at all times to patients and colleagues;
- communicate complex information regarding screening to patients and professional colleagues where tact may be required or where there may be barriers to communication such as disabilities
- explain to patients how their images will be assessed following their attendance and when they should expect to receive their results;
- to deal with any complaints or issues they arise and attempt to resolve, but to know when to report them up to line to the team leader or deputy programme manager as appropriate.
- Act as a patient experience champion for the service. Develop and implement improvement projects, based on patient feedback.
Education
- Develop and maintain specialist knowledge of screening, slit lamp and surveillance procedures through continual professional development;
- provide ongoing clinical supervision for junior colleagues on screening; plan teaching sessions and deliver training;
- support trainee screener/graders to achieve the Diploma in Health Screening (NVQ level 3).
- Continue to assist in the review and development of the SLB pathway, including regular reviews of resources and training templates.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Duties and Responsibilities
- Work autonomously, managing own caseload in community and hospital clinics;
- work constructively with colleagues to ensure clinics operate smoothly;
- instil mydriatic eye drops into the patients eyes, in line with appropriate protocols, recording this information on the IT system;
- capture digital retinal photographs in line with national standards and local protocols;
- Independently carry out Slit Lamp examinations and ensure appropriate onwards management in line with local protocols;
- capture and assess OCT scans for patients with maculopathy and ensure appropriate onward management in line with local protocols;
- Independently carry out Slit Lamp examinations and ensure appropriate onwards management in line with local protocols;
- grade retinal images to referral outcome level, making an assessment of the level of disease in line with local grading protocol and deciding onward management in line with local protocol;
- refer any issues preventing patients being screened on that day to the administration team so that they can rearrange appointments and record this in the patient notes;
- plan own clinical case load and that of others; deal with any telephone and drop in enquires, providing information to patients and colleagues that is commensurate with training and referring any clinical queries to the team leader or clinical lead;
- undertake regular audit and quality assurance of surveillance clinics, reporting outcomes to the programme leadership;
- participate in research activities;
- adjust the camera settings appropriately, and troubleshoot any camera/hardware issues that arise before reporting any problems up the line;
- to be confident with the use of the IT system, finding patients, adding new patients, updating patients and archiving patients in line with screening and administration policies.
Communication Duties and Responsibilities
- Act professionally and courteously at all times to patients and colleagues;
- communicate complex information regarding screening to patients and professional colleagues where tact may be required or where there may be barriers to communication such as disabilities
- explain to patients how their images will be assessed following their attendance and when they should expect to receive their results;
- to deal with any complaints or issues they arise and attempt to resolve, but to know when to report them up to line to the team leader or deputy programme manager as appropriate.
- Act as a patient experience champion for the service. Develop and implement improvement projects, based on patient feedback.
Education
- Develop and maintain specialist knowledge of screening, slit lamp and surveillance procedures through continual professional development;
- provide ongoing clinical supervision for junior colleagues on screening; plan teaching sessions and deliver training;
- support trainee screener/graders to achieve the Diploma in Health Screening (NVQ level 3).
- Continue to assist in the review and development of the SLB pathway, including regular reviews of resources and training templates.
Person Specification
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential
- Good standard of general education, 5 GCSES A-C or equivalent
- Education to graduate level or equivalent experience in a health-related field
- City and Guilds NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Diabetic Retinopathy Screening
Desirable
- Accreditation as an SLB examiner
- Qualified assessor status for the level 3 health screening diploma or City & Guilds diploma in retinopathy screening
Skills
Essential
- Excellent computer literacy
- Ability to prioritise multiple competing tasks
- Good customer service and communication skills
- Presentation skills
- High level of accuracy when grading diabetic retinopathy from digital retinal images
- High level of accuracy when grading diabetic retinopathy using a slit lamp biomicroscope
- Sound understanding of how to use a slit lamp biomicroscope
- Proven experience of independently reviewing the retina using a slit lamp biomicroscope without direct supervision
- Ability to recognise common non-diabetes related eye conditions and refer appropriately
- Excellent understanding of national diabetic eye screening referral pathways
- Excellent understanding of internal quality assurance within a retinal screening programme
- Displays the Trust values and behaviours
- Ability to assist patients from wheelchairs to the examination chair
- Manual dexterity to operate a retinal screening camera / slit lamp / OCT
Previous experience
Essential
- Experience of working autonomously to manage busy retinal screening Slit Lamp bio-microscopy clinics
- Experience of grading at Slit Lamp and Referral Outcome Level
- Experience of grading diabetic retinopathy via slit lamp bio-microscopy
- Experience providing training and/or clinical supervision for junior staff
- Experience of participating in external quality assurance
Desirable
- Experience of working in an ophthalmology medical retina or clinical setting
- Experience of undertaking audit and research
- Experience of developing local policy and procedures
Person Specification
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential
- Good standard of general education, 5 GCSES A-C or equivalent
- Education to graduate level or equivalent experience in a health-related field
- City and Guilds NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Diabetic Retinopathy Screening
Desirable
- Accreditation as an SLB examiner
- Qualified assessor status for the level 3 health screening diploma or City & Guilds diploma in retinopathy screening
Skills
Essential
- Excellent computer literacy
- Ability to prioritise multiple competing tasks
- Good customer service and communication skills
- Presentation skills
- High level of accuracy when grading diabetic retinopathy from digital retinal images
- High level of accuracy when grading diabetic retinopathy using a slit lamp biomicroscope
- Sound understanding of how to use a slit lamp biomicroscope
- Proven experience of independently reviewing the retina using a slit lamp biomicroscope without direct supervision
- Ability to recognise common non-diabetes related eye conditions and refer appropriately
- Excellent understanding of national diabetic eye screening referral pathways
- Excellent understanding of internal quality assurance within a retinal screening programme
- Displays the Trust values and behaviours
- Ability to assist patients from wheelchairs to the examination chair
- Manual dexterity to operate a retinal screening camera / slit lamp / OCT
Previous experience
Essential
- Experience of working autonomously to manage busy retinal screening Slit Lamp bio-microscopy clinics
- Experience of grading at Slit Lamp and Referral Outcome Level
- Experience of grading diabetic retinopathy via slit lamp bio-microscopy
- Experience providing training and/or clinical supervision for junior staff
- Experience of participating in external quality assurance
Desirable
- Experience of working in an ophthalmology medical retina or clinical setting
- Experience of undertaking audit and research
- Experience of developing local policy and procedures
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
