Job summary
A fantastic opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and forward-thinking Orthoptist to join our friendly and progressive team for a 12-month part-time (0.60 WTE) maternity leave cover from the 20th of July 2026 to the 16th of July 2027. This is a genuinely varied and stimulating role, ideal for someone looking to consolidate or expand their extended-scope practice. You will work across a broad range of specialist areas including:
Paediatric ophthalmology including JIA clinics
Community Paediatric services with leadership responsibility
Special Schools
Stroke, neuro-ophthalmology pathways and extended adult services
Main duties of the job
Provide a high-quality orthoptic service as an autonomous, highly specialist practitioner, delivering both preventative and therapeutic care in line with the professional standards of the British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS).
Apply advanced clinical expertise, critical reasoning, and substantial experience to independently assess, diagnose, and manage patients referred to the Orthoptic service, working collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary ophthalmology and AHP team.
Contribute actively to the education and development of others by teaching and supporting a wide range of healthcare professionals, including undergraduate orthoptic students, pre-registration optometrists, health visitors, school nurses, GPs, junior doctors, and medical students.
Lead the Community Orthoptic Service, taking responsibility for the strategic and operational oversight of the service, ensuring high standards of care, effective organisation, and day-to-day support for the wider orthoptic team.
About us
Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.
The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.
Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.
We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of post registration clinical experience delivering orthoptic care across paediatric, community, and stroke pathways, performing duties comparable to those described in the job description.
- Experience working collaboratively within uni professional and multidisciplinary teams to deliver coordinated patient care.
- Experience providing clinical advice, training, and support to junior staff, support workers, and students.
- Experience delivering teaching or clinical education to multidisciplinary colleagues.
- Experience contributing to clinical governance, including participation in audit, service evaluation, incident review, or quality improvement activity.
- Experience managing or coordinating clinical activity across multiple sites or service areas, or evidence of readiness to undertake this responsibility.
- Experience working with vulnerable groups, including children and stroke survivors, with an understanding of safeguarding responsibilities.
Desirable
- Experience leading or coordinating a specialist clinical area such as paediatrics, stroke, community services, or special schools
- Membership of a relevant specialist interest group.
- Experience in audit, research, or service evaluation activity.
- Experience using Cerner Millennium, MediSIGHT, or equivalent electronic patient record systems.
- Experience coordinating student placements or acting as a clinical educator or assessor.
Skills
Essential
- -Specialist clinical assessment and diagnostic skills across the full scope of orthoptic practice, including paediatric and stroke related visual impairment
- Evidence of analysing and prioritising complex clinical information to develop safe and appropriate care plans.
- Evidence of communicating clinical information clearly and appropriately to a range of audiences, including adapting communication for children, carers, and patients with additional needs.
- Ability to work autonomously, making clinical decisions within professional guidelines and escalating appropriately.
- Evidence of maintaining accurate, high quality clinical documentation using electronic patient record systems.
- Commitment to inclusive, non discriminatory, patient centred practice.
- Ability to coordinate clinics or service activity across multiple sites, ensuring safe and efficient delivery.
Desirable
- Confident presentation skills, including delivering teaching sessions or case presentations
- Experience developing competency frameworks, training programmes, or structured learning resources
- Experience contributing to service development or pathway redesign
Knowledge
Essential
- Developed knowledge of current best practice in orthoptics, including paediatric care, community eye care, and stroke related visual impairment.
- Understanding of legal responsibilities, professional codes of conduct, and ethical frameworks relevant to orthoptic practice
- Understanding of clinical governance, including risk management, audit processes, and evidence based practice
- Knowledge of MS Office applications and confidence using electronic patient record systems
- Commitment to ongoing CPD and maintaining HCPC standards
- Understanding of safeguarding principles relating to children and vulnerable adults
Desirable
- Knowledge of MediSIGHT Ophthalmology, Cerner Millennium, or equivalent ophthalmic EPR or PAS systems
- Knowledge of national paediatric, stroke, or community eye care guidelines
Qualifications
Essential
- Bachelor of Science in Orthoptics (BSc Orthoptics, BMedSci Orthoptics) or Diploma in British Orthoptics (DBO
- Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- Evidence of ongoing CPD in accordance with HCPC requirements.
Desirable
- Member of the British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS).
- Teaching or education qualification such as City and Guilds or equivalent.
- Postgraduate training in paediatrics, stroke, neuro ophthalmology, or advanced clinical practice.
Other
Essential
- Able to travel between hospital and community sites as required.
- Physically able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable adjustments where necessary.
- Flexible, dependable, and adaptable approach to work, including working across multiple locations.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of post registration clinical experience delivering orthoptic care across paediatric, community, and stroke pathways, performing duties comparable to those described in the job description.
- Experience working collaboratively within uni professional and multidisciplinary teams to deliver coordinated patient care.
- Experience providing clinical advice, training, and support to junior staff, support workers, and students.
- Experience delivering teaching or clinical education to multidisciplinary colleagues.
- Experience contributing to clinical governance, including participation in audit, service evaluation, incident review, or quality improvement activity.
- Experience managing or coordinating clinical activity across multiple sites or service areas, or evidence of readiness to undertake this responsibility.
- Experience working with vulnerable groups, including children and stroke survivors, with an understanding of safeguarding responsibilities.
Desirable
- Experience leading or coordinating a specialist clinical area such as paediatrics, stroke, community services, or special schools
- Membership of a relevant specialist interest group.
- Experience in audit, research, or service evaluation activity.
- Experience using Cerner Millennium, MediSIGHT, or equivalent electronic patient record systems.
- Experience coordinating student placements or acting as a clinical educator or assessor.
Skills
Essential
- -Specialist clinical assessment and diagnostic skills across the full scope of orthoptic practice, including paediatric and stroke related visual impairment
- Evidence of analysing and prioritising complex clinical information to develop safe and appropriate care plans.
- Evidence of communicating clinical information clearly and appropriately to a range of audiences, including adapting communication for children, carers, and patients with additional needs.
- Ability to work autonomously, making clinical decisions within professional guidelines and escalating appropriately.
- Evidence of maintaining accurate, high quality clinical documentation using electronic patient record systems.
- Commitment to inclusive, non discriminatory, patient centred practice.
- Ability to coordinate clinics or service activity across multiple sites, ensuring safe and efficient delivery.
Desirable
- Confident presentation skills, including delivering teaching sessions or case presentations
- Experience developing competency frameworks, training programmes, or structured learning resources
- Experience contributing to service development or pathway redesign
Knowledge
Essential
- Developed knowledge of current best practice in orthoptics, including paediatric care, community eye care, and stroke related visual impairment.
- Understanding of legal responsibilities, professional codes of conduct, and ethical frameworks relevant to orthoptic practice
- Understanding of clinical governance, including risk management, audit processes, and evidence based practice
- Knowledge of MS Office applications and confidence using electronic patient record systems
- Commitment to ongoing CPD and maintaining HCPC standards
- Understanding of safeguarding principles relating to children and vulnerable adults
Desirable
- Knowledge of MediSIGHT Ophthalmology, Cerner Millennium, or equivalent ophthalmic EPR or PAS systems
- Knowledge of national paediatric, stroke, or community eye care guidelines
Qualifications
Essential
- Bachelor of Science in Orthoptics (BSc Orthoptics, BMedSci Orthoptics) or Diploma in British Orthoptics (DBO
- Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- Evidence of ongoing CPD in accordance with HCPC requirements.
Desirable
- Member of the British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS).
- Teaching or education qualification such as City and Guilds or equivalent.
- Postgraduate training in paediatrics, stroke, neuro ophthalmology, or advanced clinical practice.
Other
Essential
- Able to travel between hospital and community sites as required.
- Physically able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable adjustments where necessary.
- Flexible, dependable, and adaptable approach to work, including working across multiple locations.
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).
