Specialist Optometrist

Wye Valley NHS Trust

The closing date is 20 April 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Specialist Optometrist to be embedded within our Ophthalmology Department.

The role will provide a range of core and specialist optometric services and extended roles supporting the Ophthalmology clinics.

The successful candidate would work as an autonomous practitioner in accordance with professional & regulatory body guidelines and codes of practice (The College of Optometrists and General Optical Council) and statutory Trust requirements.

Main duties of the job

To participate in planning of services in the department and organisation of posts for more junior optometrists working the department towards post-graduate qualifications.

To support clinical audit, quality improvement and research.

To undertake administrative duties ensuring safe and effective service delivery including patient triage and managing clinical queries from the community.

To contribute to teaching of medical and non-medical staff within the Ophthalmology department.

About us

Wye Valley NHS Trust is a member of an NHS Foundation Group with South Warwickshire NHS FT , the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Located on the border with Wales in the shadow of the Black Mountains, we provide acute and community services across Herefordshire and into parts of Powys and run Hereford County Hospital and the community hospitals in Bromyard, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye.

We are a progressive and forward looking trust with ambitious plans to improve quality and integrate patient pathways through close collaborative working with our partners to deliver the quality of care we'd want for our family and friends.

More than 3,500 people work for the Trust - they tell us it's a great place to work, blending the busyness of a DGH with the benefits of working in a beautiful rural and unspoilt county like Herefordshire.

We can offer a great work-life balance and have a fine tradition of working with staff to help them achieve their full potential.

Russell Hardy, Trust Chairman: "The strength of the Trust is its amazing staff; a great place to work, a great place to develop your career and a great place to reach your potential."

Our values -Care, Accountability, Respect and Excellence - are at the heart of all we do. We believe in providing the right care in the right place at the right time...all the time.

Date posted

04 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£46,148 to £52,809 a year pa pro rata (INDICATIVE)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share

Reference number

229-SUR-7111360

Job locations

Hereford County Hospital

Hereford

HR1 2ER

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification

For more details, please contact:

Mr George Morphis, Clinical Lead or Mr Amun Sachdev, Glaucoma Lead

via 01432 355444

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification

For more details, please contact:

Mr George Morphis, Clinical Lead or Mr Amun Sachdev, Glaucoma Lead

via 01432 355444

Person Specification

Education & Qualifications

Essential

GOC registration
BSc Hons Optometry or equivalent
Experience of shared care / extended role in specialist area (e.g. COGS)

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

Essential

Specialist clinical experience beyond conventional community optometry.
Specialist clinical assessment skills in specialist areas, particularly glaucoma, eye casualty and medical retina.
Specialist ancillary test interpretation skills (e.g. visual function and ocular imaging tests)
Ability to independently make clinical decisions on a range of problems both emergency and elective within specialist areas, particularly glaucoma, eye casualty and medical retina.

Experience

Essential

Experience and participation in audit and managerial roles
Ability to teach and supervise more junior members of staff, such as less experienced optometrists and students
Good organisational skills and time management.
Ability to organise and prioritise workload effectively

Person Specification

Education & Qualifications

Essential

GOC registration
BSc Hons Optometry or equivalent
Experience of shared care / extended role in specialist area (e.g. COGS)

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

Essential

Specialist clinical experience beyond conventional community optometry.
Specialist clinical assessment skills in specialist areas, particularly glaucoma, eye casualty and medical retina.
Specialist ancillary test interpretation skills (e.g. visual function and ocular imaging tests)
Ability to independently make clinical decisions on a range of problems both emergency and elective within specialist areas, particularly glaucoma, eye casualty and medical retina.

Experience

Essential

Experience and participation in audit and managerial roles
Ability to teach and supervise more junior members of staff, such as less experienced optometrists and students
Good organisational skills and time management.
Ability to organise and prioritise workload effectively

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.