Job summary
To be responsible for supporting the hospital optometry service and, in conjunction with the medical staff, to deliver both independent and shared care for ophthalmic be responsible for and personally deliver a range of core optometric services and specialised optometric care extended roles.
Main duties of the job
This job description is intended to be a fair and representative summary of the main duties and responsibilities of the role. As such it is not exhaustive. It will be subject to regular review between the post holder and manager and may be amended to reflect the needs of the service, in line with the reasonable requirements of the job profile/grade and KSF outlinefor the post, in consultation with the post holder.
About us
We are committed to ensure a work-life balance to all our staff by offering full time and part time roles, flexible working hours on a shift pattern to fit around your family life.
We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and candidates form our local communities.
Benefits to you
1. 27 days annual leave for new starters, rising to 29 days after five years of service and 33 days after 10 years of service, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro-rata for part time staff);
2. NHS Pension Scheme:
3. Flexible working opportunities;
4. Increased hourly rates for unsociable hours night shifts, weekends, bank holidays;
5. Career development and training;
6. Wellbeing support and activities;
7. In-house physiotherapy Service;
8. On-site canteens with subsidised meals;
9. Subsidised staff parking (currently free).
10. Free Stagecoach Bus Travel to and from work within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Job description
Job responsibilities
To undertake a range of optometry services at Hinchingbrooke Hospital. These include but are not limited to supporting the intravitreal service with the medical retina team, conducting pre and post operative cataract assessments and aiding with Glaucoma management clinics. It is anticipated that some of these responsibilities could be carried out remotely to allow for working from home.
The job will require the ability to carry out clinical examination and understand clinical signs, as well as interpretation of OCT scans and other ophthalmic measurements to arrive at appropriate management decisions, and where suitable assessing a refraction to achieve best corrected visual acuity.
To take responsibility for clinical decision-making with support from consultants andto provide specialised diagnosis, management, care, and education of patients.
To provide clinical opinion (or obtain clinical opinion from ophthalmologists) to optometric and non-optometric colleagues on the management of cases within the ophthalmology support the optometry service with the triaging of emergency and routine referrals.
To offer support to nursing staff and healthcare assistants in the ophthalmology department, actively contributing to their training, education, and continuing feedback.
To work to protocols set for each role. May be required to comment on / implement policies or propose policy changes to own areas of ensure contemporaneous records are kept for all patients seen in clinic and letters of communication are sent to other healthcare professionals where appropriate.
To be able to use appropriate IT, including Open Eyes or equivalent electronic patient records for benchmarking, audit and clinical uses.
Responsibility, in conjunction with ophthalmology colleagues, for the systematic and critical analysis of the quality of work carried by optometrists in the shared care services, including initiation and participation in clinical audit.
To personally participate in continuing professional education and development (as required by the General Optical Council).
To contribute to the delivery of optometric teaching and supervision to other ophthalmic professionals.
To support and contribute to clinical research or assessment programs if required.
To present audit/research findings at relevant scientific meetings if required.
Contribute to publishing research/audit findings in peer-reviewed journals if required
To comply with the roles and responsibilities as defined in the Trusts Health & Safety.
Please refer to the job description and person specification for more information regarding the role.
Person Specification
Essential and Desirable
Essential
11. Bsc (Hons) Optometry & MCOptom or equivalent
12. Registration with the General Optical Council
13. Minimum 2 years post registration with GOC
14. Working in a multidisciplinary team
15. Cataract pre and post operative assessment
16. Broad understanding of the developing roles of the ophthalmic professions, within primary, secondary & tertiary care
17. Some knowledge and experience of governance issues, in particular clinical audit
18. General ophthalmic knowledge and understanding of ocular disease and management
19. Knowledge of vulnerable adult and child protection issues
20. Ability to independently undertake specialist extended clinical roles (working to agreed protocols)
21. Ability to independently assess and make clinical decisions
22. Ability to effectively communicate complex information in a range of situations clinical info to patients, audit presentations
23. Good written and verbal communication skills in respect of presentations and teaching etc
24. Slit lamp biomicroscopy of anterior and posterior eye with lenses
25. Contact tonometry
26. Interpretation of visual fields
27. Interpretation of other specialist diagnostic results such as OCT
28. Good planning and organisational skills
29. Awareness and respect for colleagues, patients and relatives cultural, religious and emotional needs and beliefs
30. Good previous attendance record
31. Professional appearance and behaviour
Desirable
32. MSc or PhD in Optometry or equivalent post graduate experience
33. City & Guilds in Diabetic Retinopathy Screening
34. Postgraduate Diplomas in Optometry
35. Hospital experience
36. Diabetic retinopathy screening
37. Other extended roles within optometry
38. Teaching
39. Team management
40. Development of protocols or competencies
41. Research
42. Understanding of NHS structure and commissioning of services
43. Gonioscopy & pachymetry