Job summary
- Main area
- Ophthalmology
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- 12 months (Fixed term: 12 months)
- Hours
- 7.5 hours per week (Part time - 7.5 hours per week)
- Job ref
- 040-HS032-0724
- Employer
- Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Gwent Hospital
- Town
- Newport
- Salary
- £44,398 - £50,807 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 25/07/2024 23:59
Employer heading
Specialist Optometrist
Band 7
We encourage applications from those who consider themselves to have a disability and from those in the Armed Forces Community. Applicants are invited to apply in Welsh, any application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application made in English.
If you are successful at interview for this post you will receive your conditional offer of appointment and information pack via email.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time. Therefore we encourage early applications to ensure consideration for this post. If you are short listed for this post, you will be contacted via your email account you used to apply for this post, therefore please check your account regularly.
Please check your email account regularly. Successful applicants will receive all recruitment related correspondence via the email account registered on the application form.
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board support flexible working.
Please note that this vacancy may be withdrawn at any time should it be filled via the internal redeployment process
Please be advised that there is a temporary top up for Bands 1,2 and 3 to reflect the incorporation of the top up to the living wage of £12 per hour - £23,465 per annum. This temporary top up will be in place until the annual pay uplift for 2024/25 is confirmed
Job overview
This is an excellent opportunity to join a dynamic and forward thinking, progressive innovative eye care service team comprising 12 Consultants, 8 Optometrists and a substantial team of Ophthalmic Nurses, Orthoptists, technicians, and healthcare assistants.
We are looking to appoint an optometrist with a special interest in glaucoma, within Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB). This is a fixed term 12 months post to support a colleague to work towards the Diploma in Glaucoma Qualification. This is a clinical post working alongside our glaucoma consultants and specialist optometrists.
Our Ophthalmology department a benefits from an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer, admin & booking teams and along with a supportive management team within the Ophthalmology directorate and Scheduled care.
ABUHB has 3 main ophthalmology sites – the Royal Gwent Hospital, Neville Hall Hospital & Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr, most of these sites benefiting from the lovely scenic views of Wales!
We are also a unit involved in research with a designated Ophthalmology Research Lead. Our main site is also equipped with the state-of-the-art EyeSi surgical simulators, which enables our trainees to become familiar with surgical steps and finesse their techniques in a safe environment. Our department is indeed one that most clinicians would love to be in.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Main duties of the job
Specialist Optometrists provide clinical care traditionally delivered by medical staff, undertaking clinical management decisions regarding patients with ocular disease. As such, this extended role post departs from conventional hospital eye service core competence areas of service (i.e. investigation of refraction/optical conditions and provision of optical appliances).
Extended role optometrists have a high level of clinical training, specialist knowledge, skill and experience and in order to routinely provide (both optometric and ophthalmologic) care, specifically disease treatment/management, to high volumes of patients. It therefore demands a high level of individual professional responsibility and efficiency within clinical optometry, exceeding that of both community and more traditional hospital eye service optometrists both in terms of breadth and depth of knowledge, skills and experience.
The post holder will be mainly involved in the day to day running of glaucoma clinical services in face to face and virtual clinics, seeing varying levels of complexity in consultant led and optometry led clinics.
Working for our organisation
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is a multi-award winning NHS organisation with a passion for caring. The Health Board provides an exceptional workplace where you can feel trusted and valued. Whatever your specialty or stage in your career, we have opportunities for everyone to start, grow and build your career. The health board provides integrated acute, primary and community care serving a population of 650,000 and employing over 16,000 staff.
We offer a fantastic benefits package and extensive training and development opportunities with paid mandatory training, excellent in-house programmes, opportunities to complete recognised qualifications and professional career pathways including a range of management development programmes. We offer flexible working and promote a healthy work life balance, provide occupational health support and an ambitious plan for a Wellbeing Centre of Excellence to support you at work.
Our Clinical Futures strategy continues to enhance and promote care closer to home as well as high quality hospital care when needed. This includes the Grange University Hospital which provides specialist and critical care and is the newest addition to the clinical futures strategy opening in November 2020. Join us on our journey to pioneer new ways of working and deliver a world-class healthcare service fit for the future.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Post holders will wherever possible autonomously deliver advanced, specialised and complex care, with responsibility for patient examination and complex clinical decision making regarding ongoing management/treatment of a sight-threatening eye diseases in particular glaucoma. Extended role Optometrists work in a multidisciplinary environment alongside Ophthalmic Nurse Practitioners and Consultant Ophthalmologists, and seek guidance on management of cases that they consider to be beyond their competence, or where they consider that an ophthalmologist’s opinion is required.
Successful candidates will be expected to demonstrate knowledge, skills, training, competence and clinical experience in provision of high quality efficient clinical patient care. Following a period of advanced training they may be involved in assessing, developing, implementing and evaluating appropriate programmes of care / treatment for patients requiring specialist ophthalmic services as directed by Royal College of Ophthalmologists and College of Optometrists guidelines.
Principle Activities
· To deliver specialist clinical care for patients with sight-threatening eye disease within ophthalmic sub-specialist clinics.
· To make patient-centred judgements on management in the presence of uncertainty, for example where patients are unable to cooperate fully in clinical assessments, or where evidence on clinical management options is unclear or lacking
· To plan and deliver specialist clinical examinations that are commensurate with clinical experience being comprehensive and taking account of guidance from national recommendations and local protocols
· To utilise specialist ophthalmic instruments and complex equipment that often requires adopting unusual or restriction body positions.
· To analyse, interpret and act upon complex findings of multiple specialist tests.
· To undertake frequent intense concentration during a clinical session for the purpose of clinical decision making and associated subsequent discussion with each patient regarding management, with occasional unpredictable interruption
· To be aware of and demonstrate practice in ophthalmic care based on current advances in the profession.
· To ensure the promotion and maintenance of health and prevention of illness.
· To liaise and communicate with members of the multidisciplinary team in the planning and delivery of patient care.
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click “Apply now” to view in Trac.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- General Optical Council registration
- BSc (Hons) Optometry or equivalent
- College of Optometrists Higher certificate in Glaucoma
Desirable criteria
- Demonstrate a willingness to work towards relevant specialist postgraduate qualifications
- Independent Prescribing Qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Relevant specialist clinical experience beyond conventional hospital or community optometry.
- Multidisciplinary team working
- Evidence of ongoing professional development
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of managing clinical session workload Clinical audit / research experience relevant to specialist practice
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Welsh language skills are desirable
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Clare Conaty
- Job title
- Principal Optometrist
- Email address
- [email protected]
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