Job summary
- Main area
- 317 Opticians (Optometrists) - RVI
- Grade
- Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 317-2024-31-036
- Employer
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Victoria Infirmary
- Town
- 317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary
- Salary
- £53,755 - £60,504 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 03/09/2024 23:59
- Interview date
- 23/09/2024
Employer heading
Advanced Clinical Optometrist
Band 8a
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest, largest and most successful teaching NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 16,000 staff and an annual income of £1 billion.
We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We’re also proud to be the second largest provider of specialised services in the country. This means we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 1.84 million patients ‘contacts’ each year, delivering high standards of healthcare.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job overview
As one of the country’s leading Ophthalmology units in the country, the Newcastle Eye Centre continually improves how it offers high quality services for patients, and excellent career satisfaction for its staff.
Our Optometry Department is no exception and as we are currently developing our service, we are delighted to be in a position to seek a full time Advanced Clinical Optometrist to join the team at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.
Our visionary approach includes working closely with our consultant colleagues and other eye professionals to ensure we can provide healthcare at its best with people at our heart and we would love to hear from those who share our vision of collaborative working.
As an Advanced Clinical Optometrist, you will have the highest level of clinical knowledge and skills and be able to demonstrate the ability to work independently across sub-specialties and core optometry services. You will have excellent communication and leadership skills as you will play an integral role in developing optometrist’s extended roles, research involvement and liaise with external agencies as we collaborate with primary care providers to improve eye health care provision for our patients.
- Interview Date Monday, 23 September 2024
- 37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week
- You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy
Main duties of the job
The Optometry Department currently provides core optometry services including low vison assessment, specialist contact lens fitting (adult and paediatric) and refraction (adult and paediatric). Our current research activity includes refraction and vision assessment for patients recruited in multi-centre international ophthalmology trials and ophthalmology assessments for patients participating in non-ophthalmology trials and, in this capacity, we have a close relationship with the Sir Bobby Robson Unit supporting their oncology trials. Our current portfolio of extended roles include cornea, eye emergency, glaucoma, medical retina, post-operative cataract assessment, paediatric uveitis screening and YAG capsulotomy. We are looking to develop into other sub-specialties as we identify previously unsupported areas that Optometrists could effectively contribute to patient care. Having a comprehensive range of services means we are in the enviable position of being able to offer exclusive opportunities for specialisation in specific areas of interest, according to service need, plus exceptional opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) as we seek to ensure every member of our staff is provided with the relevant training and support needed to liberate their potential.
Working for our organisation
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest, largest and most successful teaching NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 16,000 staff and an annual income of £1 billion.
We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We’re also proud to be the second largest provider of specialised services in the country. This means we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 2 million patients ‘contacts’ each year, delivering high standards of healthcare.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Successful candidates will be registered with General Optical Council as an Independent Prescriber and be able to demonstrate advanced clinical knowledge by either an extensive, relevant portfolio and/or further qualifications such as College of Optometrist Higher Certificate in Medical Retina, Diploma in Glaucoma or relevant qualification in Clinical Research.
Other duties include provision of post graduate training across a wide range of disciplines including pre-registration and qualified Optometrists, nursing staff, and junior medial staff preparing for Royal College of Ophthalmologists exams and participation in clinical and medical audit.
- To work closely with the Head and Deputy Head of Optometry in order to deliver an extensive range of advanced Optometric services to the highest standards of quality and care.
- To work across a variety of sub-specialties within the ophthalmology department including but not limited to glaucoma, medical retina and core optometry services.
- To work with Head and Deputy Head of Optometry in management of financial and human resources and information systems within Optometry.
- To demonstrate the highest level of specialist clinical training, knowledge skills and experience exceeding that of both primary eye care and traditional hospital eye service optometrists.
- To deliver high quality Ophthalmological examinations for research patients from other specialties in order to detect and manage ocular side-effects from systemic medications.
- To ensure all Ophthalmological examinations undertaken for research purposes are correctly and accurately financed.
- To provide high quality audit and research within the Ophthalmology department.
- Responsible for the development of extended therapeutic roles within the Optometry Service.
- To take a lead role in extending Optometrists involvement in highly specialised clinics, for example:
o Glaucoma Diagnosis and Management.
o Medical Retina Diagnosis and Management
o Neuro-ophthalmology - To work as an independent practitioner and to work as part of multi-disciplinary team, providing an extensive range of advanced Optometric services to the highest standards of quality and care.
- To ensure that the patient is the central focus.
- Working as Advanced Clinical Optometrist provide a prompt response to calls from colleagues, prioritising importance and clinical need.
- Manage own caseload to include assessment, investigation, diagnosis and treatment within defined parameters and training.
- Provide immediate care management of patients including communication of plan to patients and significant others.
- Review and refer to appropriate person, e.g. Consultant Ophthalmologist.
- Liaise with Eye Clinic Liaison Officer for patients with untreatable sight loss.
- Provide specialist education and training at post-graduate level to Specialist and pre-registration Optometrists and multiple disciplines in Ophthalmology and non-trust staff groups such as primary eye care optometrists.
- To undertake administrative responsibilities as determined by the Head of Optometry.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.
Person specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential criteria
- Registered Optometrist
- GOC registration requiring Post Graduate Qualification and continuing Education and Training to Doctorate Level
- Registered with the GOC as an Independent Prescriber o Post-graduate qualification in relevant area of practice e.g. o College of Optometrists Diploma in Ocular Therapeutics o College of Optometrists Diploma in Glaucoma o College of Optometrists Higher Professional Certificate in Medical Retina o Post graduate certificate/MSc in Clinical Research
- Registered with Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust as a Non-Medical Prescriber
Desirable criteria
- Management qualification
- Full clean driving licence
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in core Optometry skills and at least 2 extended roles e.g. glaucoma, medical retina or research
- A detailed understanding of advanced clinical and theoretical optometric procedures relating to the provision of shared care for patients between primary and secondary eyecare
- Further highly developed specialist knowledge including theoretical and advanced clinical training
- Significant previous employment in Hospital Eye Service to acquire advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of hospital optometry
- Extensive post registration experience at a senior level within at least 2 specialist areas of practice
- Research and audit experience
- Good Clinical Practice training
- Experience as a visual acuity examiner in a minimum of 2 multi-centre international clinical trials
- Evidence of on-going continuous professional development
- Evidence of excellent communication and interpersonal skills including effective report writing
- Knowledge and understanding of relevant NHS policy or project specific policy context
- Knowledge and experience of adult/child safeguarding
- General appearance to be business-like and professional
Desirable criteria
- Experience of teaching
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- The ability to practice at a level comparable to a Consultant Ophthalmologist including clinical history taking and ocular examination skills.
- Able to work independently and across disciplines as a member of a multi-disciplinary team
- Effective organisation and time management skills
- Excellent IT skills including word-processing, use of spreadsheets and databases
- Physical ability to perform all necessary Optometric duties
Desirable criteria
- Counselling skills
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Aedheen Regan
- Job title
- Head Of Department Clinical Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0191 2825471
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