The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Pre-registration Optometrist

The closing date is 07 December 2025

Job summary

We are seeking an enthusiastic pre-registration optometrist to join the optometry team at Newcastle Eye Centre. This post offers an exciting opportunity to start your optometry career in a busy fast-paced hospital clinic and gain the necessary knowledge and skills for the College of Optometrist's Scheme for Registration.

Interview date: 15 January 2026
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

You will work primarily in the core optometry service which provides refraction, low vision and contact lens services to adult and paediatric patients. You will also have the opportunity to participate in extended role clinics such as eye emergency and post operative cataract care. Regular sessions are arranged in a range of Ophthalmologist and Orthoptic clinics
There is a good opportunity to be involved in providing a wide range of services and to get an insight into the expanding role of an Optometrist in a busy hospital environment.
It is essential that you have a degree in Optometry by the date of commencing in post.
Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for all essential and desirable criteria required for the role.

About us

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.

Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:

o Freeman Hospital

o Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)

o Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)

o Newcastle Dental Hospital

o Newcastle Fertility Centre

o Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria

o Northern Genetics Service

o Cramlington Manor Walks

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Date posted

24 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

317-2025-48-06-DR

Job locations

Newcastle Eye Centre

317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary

NE1 4LP

Job description

Job responsibilities

To assist in the delivery of a broad range of core Optometric services to the highest standard of quality and care under supervision of a qualified Optometrist

Job description

Job responsibilities

To assist in the delivery of a broad range of core Optometric services to the highest standard of quality and care under supervision of a qualified Optometrist

Person Specification

KNOWLEDGE

Essential

BSc optometry

SKILLS

Essential

Excellent written and verbal communication
IT skills including use of databases, spreadsheets, presentations
Excellent hand/eye coordination

Desirable

Counselling
Full clean driving licence

EXPERIENCE

Desirable

Previous work in Optometry Practice

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

BSc Optometry

Person Specification

KNOWLEDGE

Essential

BSc optometry

SKILLS

Essential

Excellent written and verbal communication
IT skills including use of databases, spreadsheets, presentations
Excellent hand/eye coordination

Desirable

Counselling
Full clean driving licence

EXPERIENCE

Desirable

Previous work in Optometry Practice

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

BSc Optometry

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).