Job summary
Working Full Time : 37.5 hours per week
Applicants wanting to work less than the 37.5 hour will be considered.
Who Our Opportunity is for:
- A Specialist Optometrist to work in the Optometry Department at The Countess of Chester Hospital.
- Optometrists without previous hospital experience will be considered and will be provided with training and support to enable them to fulfill the requirements of the job description
What this Opportunity means:
- We are a small, friendly and supportive team, working closely with the Ophthalmologists and Orthoptic Department
- We support staff in expanding their knowledge and skills
- The successful applicant will have the opportunity to develop a career within Hospital Optometry
Main duties of the job
The job will involve supporting the Head Optometrist in providing core Optometry services and developing both current and new extended roles. The successful applicant will become a lead for one sub-specialty (eg. Glaucoma)
See the job description for further details
About us
The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:
- The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds
- Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility
- Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.
The Trust employs over 6258 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 407,000. This includes 357,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.
The Trust is a busy district general hospital and in 2022/2023, there were more than 503,342 patient attendances (inpatient, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery. This is an increase of nearly 10,000 compared to the previous year when there were 494,387 patient attendances.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £23 (standard) or £43 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £23 (standard) or £43 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registration with General Optical Council as an optometrist
- Further post-graduate optometry qualifications relating to highly specialist aspects of clinical optometry or a willingness to work towards these.
- M.Sci Optometry ( Master of Optometry) specialist optometry degree, achieving all General Optical Council competencies
- Equivalent BSc(Hons) Ophthalmic Optics or Optometry/Vision Science (2-2 or above), successful completion of 12 month clinical postgraduate training post and achievement of all General Optical Council competencies as assessed by the College of Optometrists Professional Qualifying Examinations
Desirable
- Member of Association of Optometrists
- Member or Fellow of the College of Optometrists
- Registered College of Optometrists supervisor for pre-registration optometrist training posts as required by the GOC
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Ability to competently undertake highly specialist advanced clinical extended roles with previous experience of training and working in extended optometry roles and shared-care clinic
- Evidence of a commitment to continuing professional development and specialist skills
- Experience in provision of specialist low vision assessment and contact lens fitting Some experience in teaching and presenting to other professionals
- Previous experience of hospital optometry
Desirable
- Experience in auditing procedures.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registration with General Optical Council as an optometrist
- Further post-graduate optometry qualifications relating to highly specialist aspects of clinical optometry or a willingness to work towards these.
- M.Sci Optometry ( Master of Optometry) specialist optometry degree, achieving all General Optical Council competencies
- Equivalent BSc(Hons) Ophthalmic Optics or Optometry/Vision Science (2-2 or above), successful completion of 12 month clinical postgraduate training post and achievement of all General Optical Council competencies as assessed by the College of Optometrists Professional Qualifying Examinations
Desirable
- Member of Association of Optometrists
- Member or Fellow of the College of Optometrists
- Registered College of Optometrists supervisor for pre-registration optometrist training posts as required by the GOC
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Ability to competently undertake highly specialist advanced clinical extended roles with previous experience of training and working in extended optometry roles and shared-care clinic
- Evidence of a commitment to continuing professional development and specialist skills
- Experience in provision of specialist low vision assessment and contact lens fitting Some experience in teaching and presenting to other professionals
- Previous experience of hospital optometry
Desirable
- Experience in auditing 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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
