Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our well established and ever growing Ophthalmology department at Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
You will be an experienced optometrist who is keen to develop their skills and clinical knowledge in managing a wide range of ophthalmology patients including medical retina, emergency, glaucoma, paediatrics, cataract and general ophthalmology clinics
Main duties of the job
This role will require a highly motivated person interested in being involved in a range of core optometric services plus extended roles. Alongside the core roles of refraction, low vision assessments and specialist contact lens work the successful candidate will have the opportunity to train in extended roles, including the ARMD service. There will be opportunity to participate in regular teaching, training and clinical audit to enhance your knowledge and also contribute to the training of others in the department. You should be motivated to provide the highest standards of patient care and to constantly improve your knowledge and skills to benefit our patients.
You should have a BSc (Hons) in optometry and be registered with the General Optical Council in addition to demonstrable further learning post qualification.
Ideally you will have previous experience of hospital eye service clinics, but training and support will be given and can be offered to involve the successful candidate in suitable extended roles. Higher qualification is required for involvement in certain extended roles. A full UK driving license is also desirable.
About us
Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a caring and compassionate organisation that is both ambitious and innovative. We are committed to delivering the best outcomes for our patients and providing a positive experience of our staff. We aspire to be outstanding for our patients, our communities and our staff and are committed to being a great place to receive healthcare, work and learn.
Straddling the neighbouring boroughs of Warrington and Halton we are part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care system. Our hospitals are ideally situated to meet the growing healthcare needs of the 330,000 population of these boroughs.
Warrington Hospital is home to our emergency, critical care and maternity services, Halton Hospital is focused on elective procedures and the Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre, although many services are offered at both sites and in community hubs.
A CQC-rated 'good' organisation with 'outstanding' features, we are working towards university hospital status, having achieved teaching hospital status in 2019.
Our workforce of nearly 5,000 across both sites comprises more than 50 nationalities. We strive to be an equal, diverse and inclusive employer, which is recognised as a pioneer in its equality, diversity and inclusion work. The Trust is proud to have achieved numerous external accreditations and is working towards achieving the Anti-Racist Organisation Framework, recognising the importance of anti-racism in all that we do.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
- To perform accurate refractions on patients of all ages and abilities, making appropriate management and prescribing decisions in the patients best interests
- To assess blind and partially sighted patients, producing plans for maximum rehabilitation of vision and prescribe complex low vision appliances as appropriate
- To fit all types of contact lenses for visual rehabilitation and to maximize visual potential. This will include therapeutic, prosthetic and refractive contact lenses using specialist instrumentation and full knowledge of all available options. To perform corneal topography on patients when required, be able to interpret these scans and initiate onward referral if required
- To carry out contact lens aftercare examinations and diagnose and manage complications arising from contact lens wear, initiating onward referral as required
- To work independently in community based paediatric clinics providing specialist optometric care, management and primary diagnosis of a range of paediatric ophthalmic conditions and refractive presentations imparting unwanted news to parents and relatives in a sensitive manner
- To interpret ophthalmic test results either personally generated or provided by another colleague to appropriately manage a variety of ophthalmic conditions
- To undertake extended role clinics requiring specialist knowledge, experience and further qualifications to comply with local and national guidance and to manage own caseload of patients within these roles. Extended roles currently in the department include glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, YAG laser, emergency eye care and macular degeneration clinics. Inclusion in these roles will be based upon previous experience, with the opportunity to develop skills across these areas
Administrative and Managerial
- To be responsible for accurate input of clinical and demographic information into clinical and administrative systems
- To be an authorised signatory for goods and invoices in the optometry department
Audit and Teaching
- To complete mandatory training as outlined as per Trust protocols
- To undertake clinical audit of optometry services and be responsible for implementing improvements recommended
Professional
- To maintain own professional (GOC) registration and participate in accredited CPD programmes to allow this
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
- To perform accurate refractions on patients of all ages and abilities, making appropriate management and prescribing decisions in the patients best interests
- To assess blind and partially sighted patients, producing plans for maximum rehabilitation of vision and prescribe complex low vision appliances as appropriate
- To fit all types of contact lenses for visual rehabilitation and to maximize visual potential. This will include therapeutic, prosthetic and refractive contact lenses using specialist instrumentation and full knowledge of all available options. To perform corneal topography on patients when required, be able to interpret these scans and initiate onward referral if required
- To carry out contact lens aftercare examinations and diagnose and manage complications arising from contact lens wear, initiating onward referral as required
- To work independently in community based paediatric clinics providing specialist optometric care, management and primary diagnosis of a range of paediatric ophthalmic conditions and refractive presentations imparting unwanted news to parents and relatives in a sensitive manner
- To interpret ophthalmic test results either personally generated or provided by another colleague to appropriately manage a variety of ophthalmic conditions
- To undertake extended role clinics requiring specialist knowledge, experience and further qualifications to comply with local and national guidance and to manage own caseload of patients within these roles. Extended roles currently in the department include glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, YAG laser, emergency eye care and macular degeneration clinics. Inclusion in these roles will be based upon previous experience, with the opportunity to develop skills across these areas
Administrative and Managerial
- To be responsible for accurate input of clinical and demographic information into clinical and administrative systems
- To be an authorised signatory for goods and invoices in the optometry department
Audit and Teaching
- To complete mandatory training as outlined as per Trust protocols
- To undertake clinical audit of optometry services and be responsible for implementing improvements recommended
Professional
- To maintain own professional (GOC) registration and participate in accredited CPD programmes to allow this
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
Desirable
- Higher qualifications in optometry
Qualifications
Essential
Experience
Essential
- Previous hospital optometry experience
Desirable
- Experience in multiple hospital ophthalmology departments
Skills
Essential
Skills
Essential
- Ability to work well within a multidisciplinary team
Desirable
- Be able to offer a flexible approach when managing workload
Knowledge
Essential
- Be able to demonstrate clinical knowledge when given a scenario
Desirable
- Demonstrate ability to work autonomously and make independent clinical decisions
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
Desirable
- Higher qualifications in optometry
Qualifications
Essential
Experience
Essential
- Previous hospital optometry experience
Desirable
- Experience in multiple hospital ophthalmology departments
Skills
Essential
Skills
Essential
- Ability to work well within a multidisciplinary team
Desirable
- Be able to offer a flexible approach when managing workload
Knowledge
Essential
- Be able to demonstrate clinical knowledge when given a scenario
Desirable
- Demonstrate ability to work autonomously and make independent clinical decisions
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.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHSFT
Address
Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Lovely Lane
Warrington
WA51QG
Employer's website
https://whh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)
