Job overview
The Department of Ophthalmology at James Cook University Hospital is looking to appoint an NHS Locum consultant ophthalmologist with a view to making substantive to augment the services we provide at South Tees NHS Trust.
The department is a cohesive unit which has steadily expanded over the last ten years covering all major sub speciality areas within ophthalmology. The candidate should have appropriate surgical and clinical experience to undertake specialist care in the relevant subspecialty area. Within the hospital and department there are established research facilities and there will be opportunities to contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate education. The department is specifically looking to appoint a candidate with subspecialty training in paediatric ophthalmology.
Main duties of the job
·The post holder will maintain the highest clinical standards in the practice of paediatric ophthalmology.
·The post holder will join the on-call rota on a 1 in 16/18 rota (with prospective cover in DCC).
·The candidate will possess the appropriate surgical and clinical experience to undertake specialist care in the relevant subspecialty area.
·The post holder will contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate education.
·The post holder will work as part of a multidisciplinary team.
·A formal job plan will be agreed between the appointee and their Clinical Director on behalf of the Medical Director three months after the commencement date of the appointment.
·The job plan should be reviewed annually.
·The Department provides approximately 90,000 outpatients appointments and performs 6,000 surgical procedures each year, across the two Trust sites (The Friarage Hospital, Northallerton and The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough).
·The Department also offers outreach services at North Tees University Hospital, Stockton and at the Low Grange Medical Centre.
Working for our organisation
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust have formally agreed to form a group structure to enable closer working across the two organisations. This exciting development has come about following years of joint working but is now well underway.
The group model means that the two organisations remain separate so they can represent their communities really effectively, but it has the flexibility to enable the trusts to work at scale to take strategic decisions which benefit the group as a whole and the patients we serve.
This is not a merger. Both trusts remain as separate organisations keeping their own existing identities and names but going forward, when they are working together, they can now collectively be known as University Hospitals Tees.
The two trusts are the areas largest employers, with a budget of around £1.2billion and more than 15,000 staff who deliver acute, tertiary and community health and care services across the Tees Valley, North Yorkshire, County Durham and beyond.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the full job description and person specification document(s) for the main responsibilities of the role.
Person specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential criteria
1. Full GMC registration
2. FRCOphth or equivalent
3. Relevant CCT or equivalent (equivalence must be confirmed by PMETB/GMC by date of AAC)
4. Entry onto the GMC Specialist Register or eligibility for entry within 6 months of the date of the AAC
Desirable criteria
5. Training in appraisal techniques
Clinical experience and effectiveness
Essential criteria
6. Extensive experience in General Ophthalmology
7. Subspecialist experience in Paediatrics
8. Ability to undertake ROP screening
9. Understanding of quality improvement activities such as audit
10. Recognised subspeciality fellowship or good evidence of subspecialty practice in a recognized medical institution
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
11. Good leadership skills
12. Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, patients, relatives, GPs, nurses and other agencies
13. Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team
14. Caring attitude to patients
15. Commitment to good teamwork and relationships
16. Commitment to training and continuing medical education (CME)
17. Commitment to training and continuing medical education (CME)
18. Clear recognition of boundaries in respect of sessional work outside the hospital
19. Flexibility to respond to changing service needs
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
20. Experience of supervising resident medical staff
21. Evidence of management and administration experience
Desirable criteria
22. Other teaching skills/experience
23. Management training
24. Success in obtaining funding for research
Disclosure and Barring Checks (DBS)
It is the policy of South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who are new to the Trust who require DBS clearance for the post they have been offered, are required to pay the cost of their DBS. The method of payment for this is via salary deduction from your first month's pay.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Everything we do is shaped by our values: Respect, Support, and Collaborate.
At University Hospitals Tees we want our workspaces to be places where everyone feels welcome, valued and safe. We treat people with respect, and we celebrate the differences that make each of us unique.
We welcome applications from everyone, no matter your age, background, race, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family circumstances or beliefs.
We are here to support you throughout your application and at every stage of your career with us. We believe we work best when we collaborate, learn from each other and build teams that reflect the communities we serve.
Supporting disabled people and people with longterm conditions
We are a Disability Confident committed employer aspiring to become a lead employer in 2026.
This means we give fair and full consideration to applicants and will offer reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process. If you need help with your application, or need the information in a different format, please contact our recruitment team and we will support you.
If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at or call us on 01642 854610
Right to Work in the UK
The Trust welcomes applications from all candidates who meet the criteria for the role. Please note that from January 2021, to work in the UK all candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route. Non UK / RoI candidates wishing to apply can self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship here Work in the UK - (.
Please provide full and accurate details of your current immigration status on the application form. Your current immigration status will not be considered as part of the shortlisting or interview process.
Please note that not everyone needs a Skilled Worker visa. If you are applying for a vacancy in health or adult social care, you may be eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead.
We are able to offer sponsorship for a Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker visa, subject to candidate and position eligibility. Please review the job eligibility guidance for skilled workers here: Skilled Worker visa: Your job - ( and for the Health and Care Worker visa here: Skilled Worker visa: eligible healthcare and education jobs - (
Please note: if the job you are applying for does not meet the eligibility criteria above, we will be unable to offer you sponsorship and you will need to explore whether you may be eligible to apply for an alternative immigration route which will secure your right to work in the UK before you apply. If you are in the UK already on a visa, please ensure you have no restrictions that would prevent you from taking this post.
The Trust encourages and supports all applicants to be fully vaccinated against both COVID19 and influenza.
Please be aware, there are occasions where some vacancies may close prior to the closing date advertised. This will only happen where sufficient applications are received AND will be made evident on the job advert.
Please note if you are successfully shortlisted, we will contact you via the email address that you have applied from so please ensure you check your emails regularly.
Existing employees of South Tees NHS Foundation Trust currently on the Redeployment Register, who meet the essential criteria for this post, will be shortlisted and interviewed prior to all other applicants.