Job summary
This
is a rare opportunity to lead one of the UKs most advanced hospital-based
optometry services, embedded within the Ophthalmology Speciality Management
Team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Based at St Jamess University
Hospital, the postholder will be accountable for strategic and operational
leadership of a department delivering highly specialist clinical services
across multiple hospital and community sites.
We
are seeking a credible, experienced and forward-thinking optometry leader who
thrives in complexity, delivers through teams, and upholds the highest
clinical standards. You will lead a multidisciplinary workforce, oversee a
significant budget, and play a central role in education, research and
innovation. Your remit spans paediatrics to glaucoma, low vision to complex
contact lenses, and you will be empowered to influence regional care models.
If
you are passionate about patient-centred, integrated eye care, and want to
shape the future of optometry within a large academic Trust, we want to hear
from you.
Main duties of the job
Lead the strategic, clinical and
operational delivery of optometry services across LTHT, including St Jamess,
LGI, Wharfedale and community sites.
Be responsible for the provision of
a wide range of specialist and core services including complex refraction,
paediatric contact lenses, glaucoma, cataract and low vision care.
Manage and develop a
multi-professional team of optometrists, dispensing opticians,
pre-registration trainees, and administrators.
Hold delegated responsibility for
HR, finance, governance, information systems and service development within
Optometry.
Personally deliver specialist
clinical sessions and provide expert clinical advice for highly complex
referrals.
Supervise and assess
pre-registration optometrists and contribute to postgraduate education for
ophthalmology colleagues.
Lead on audit, clinical governance,
policy development, research collaboration and information management for the
department.
Serve as a senior point of contact
for all clinical and operational issues relating to optometry services.
About us
Leeds
Teaching Hospitals is one of the largest teaching hospital Trusts in Europe,
with access to leading clinical expertise and medical technology. We care for
people from all over the country as well as the 780,000 residents of Leeds
itself. The Trust as a budget of £1.8 billion. Our 24.000 staff ensure that
every year we see and treat 1,500,000 in our 2.000 beds or out patient
settings, comprising 100,000 day cases and 125,000 in- patients , 260,000
A&E visits and 1,250,000 out patient appointments. We operate from 7
hospitals on 5 sites all linked by the same vision, philosophy and culture
to be the best for specialist integrated care.
The
Eye Department is based at St James University Hospital, Leeds with
Ophthalmology Services also held at Seacroft Hospital and Wharfedale
Hospital. There are 29 consultants in the wider Ophthalmology Department. The
team also trains Ophthalmic specialist trainees from the region. We have
recently
Leeds
Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk'
members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts
are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove
adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the
shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this
process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any
questions.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This
is a high-profile leadership role that combines senior clinical practice with
departmental leadership. Key requirements include:
GOC-registered optometrist with
significant hospital experience (10+ years), including pre-registration
supervision, complex contact lenses, low vision and paediatrics.
Demonstrated leadership of teams
and services, including financial and HR responsibilities.
Advanced postgraduate training in
optometry or healthcare management (desirable).
Proven ability to deliver
specialist clinics independently across sub-specialities such as glaucoma,
paediatrics, cataract and anterior segment disease.
Excellent communication skills and
ability to influence across professional boundaries, from consultant
ophthalmologists to community stakeholders.
Emotional resilience and empathy in
working with patients with complex needs and visual impairments.
Willingness to work across sites
and travel to community locations regularly.
A strong track record of teaching,
audit and ideally research or publication.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This
is a high-profile leadership role that combines senior clinical practice with
departmental leadership. Key requirements include:
GOC-registered optometrist with
significant hospital experience (10+ years), including pre-registration
supervision, complex contact lenses, low vision and paediatrics.
Demonstrated leadership of teams
and services, including financial and HR responsibilities.
Advanced postgraduate training in
optometry or healthcare management (desirable).
Proven ability to deliver
specialist clinics independently across sub-specialities such as glaucoma,
paediatrics, cataract and anterior segment disease.
Excellent communication skills and
ability to influence across professional boundaries, from consultant
ophthalmologists to community stakeholders.
Emotional resilience and empathy in
working with patients with complex needs and visual impairments.
Willingness to work across sites
and travel to community locations regularly.
A strong track record of teaching,
audit and ideally research or publication.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BSc (Hons) degree in Optometry
- General Optical Council registered
- Registered College of Optometrists supervisor for pre-registration optometrist training posts as required by the GOC
- Higher optometry degree or equivalent
Desirable
- Post graduate Management qualification
- Post-graduate optometric qualifications e.g. College of Optometrists, Higher Diploma PHd
- European Computer driving licence
Experience
Essential
- Minimum of eight years previous hospital work/ registered minimum of ten years
- Experience of working in sub-specialty clinical services, such as glaucoma, corneal, acute referral, and medical retina
- Management
- Pre-registration optometrist supervision
- Complex contact lenses including paediatric contact lenses
- Low Vision work
- Working with the elderly and Working with children
- Toxic screening
- EDTRS LogMAR acuity testing
- Peli Robson Contrast sensitivity assessment
- Experience of postgraduate teaching
- Experience of research and audit
- Practical working knowledge of fitting complex rigid and soft and scleral contact lenses including paediatric contact lenses.
Desirable
- Glaucoma knowledge / experience
- Post operative cataract assessment knowledge / experience
- Anterior segment disease knowledge / experience
- Financial responsibility
Skills & behaviours
Essential
- Precise manual dexterity skills including handling contact lenses, removing eye lashes and corneal suture adjustment.
- Well developed interpersonal mental and emotional empathy skills where barriers exist because of age, special needs, physical or language difficulties
- Good written and verbal communication skills & Managing people
- Able to work independently upon own initiative and lead the department.
- Performing practical refraction, contact lens fitting and low vision aid dispensing skills on adults and children.
- Performing contact tonometry on adults, children and babies.
- Use of Volk and gonioscopy lenses.
- Use of Binocular Indirect Ophthalmoscopy
- Instillation of ophthalmic drugs in adults and children
Desirable
- Ability to work in a busy environment. Flexibility with working hours, especially finishing time.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BSc (Hons) degree in Optometry
- General Optical Council registered
- Registered College of Optometrists supervisor for pre-registration optometrist training posts as required by the GOC
- Higher optometry degree or equivalent
Desirable
- Post graduate Management qualification
- Post-graduate optometric qualifications e.g. College of Optometrists, Higher Diploma PHd
- European Computer driving licence
Experience
Essential
- Minimum of eight years previous hospital work/ registered minimum of ten years
- Experience of working in sub-specialty clinical services, such as glaucoma, corneal, acute referral, and medical retina
- Management
- Pre-registration optometrist supervision
- Complex contact lenses including paediatric contact lenses
- Low Vision work
- Working with the elderly and Working with children
- Toxic screening
- EDTRS LogMAR acuity testing
- Peli Robson Contrast sensitivity assessment
- Experience of postgraduate teaching
- Experience of research and audit
- Practical working knowledge of fitting complex rigid and soft and scleral contact lenses including paediatric contact lenses.
Desirable
- Glaucoma knowledge / experience
- Post operative cataract assessment knowledge / experience
- Anterior segment disease knowledge / experience
- Financial responsibility
Skills & behaviours
Essential
- Precise manual dexterity skills including handling contact lenses, removing eye lashes and corneal suture adjustment.
- Well developed interpersonal mental and emotional empathy skills where barriers exist because of age, special needs, physical or language difficulties
- Good written and verbal communication skills & Managing people
- Able to work independently upon own initiative and lead the department.
- Performing practical refraction, contact lens fitting and low vision aid dispensing skills on adults and children.
- Performing contact tonometry on adults, children and babies.
- Use of Volk and gonioscopy lenses.
- Use of Binocular Indirect Ophthalmoscopy
- Instillation of ophthalmic drugs in adults and children
Desirable
- Ability to work in a busy environment. Flexibility with working hours, especially finishing time.
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).
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).
