Job Title
Advanced Clinical Optometrist
Organisation
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Closing Date
The closing date is 14 June 2026
Job Summary
We are offering an exciting opportunity for a highly experienced Optometrist to join our team in an advanced clinical optometrist role. You will join a multidisciplinary team to provide high quality ophthalmic care for the patients of Suffolk and surrounding areas. As an advanced clinical optometrist you will have significant previous experience delivering sub‑speciality ophthalmology care and will be an independent prescriber on the General Optical Council Speciality register. You will be delivering independent Ophthalmology and Optometry clinics as well as supporting training and education within the department and the wider optometry community. For candidates with less experience and post‑graduate qualifications, we would welcome an application to join the team in a developmental position, starting at either Band 6 or 7 depending on previous qualifications and experience. Progression through salary bands will depend on achievement of both clinical competency and post‑graduate qualifications. We are fully committed to support the successful applicant to develop knowledge, skills and achieve competence.
Key Responsibilities
* Act as an autonomous advanced clinical practitioner providing high‑quality, individualised clinical management for patients using advanced clinical assessment and diagnostic reasoning skills to determine and initiate changes to treatment as necessary.
* Provide a range of extended specialist role services.
* Work as an autonomous registered practitioner with significant experience in an ophthalmology extended role providing high‑quality, individualised clinical management for patients using advanced clinical assessment and diagnostic reasoning skills to determine and initiate changes to treatment as necessary.
* Act as a specialist clinical expert in direct contact care, able to make high‑level skills decisions, informed by advanced history taking, diagnostic, assessment and treatment skills, and be responsible and accountable for own decisions, actions and omissions at this level of practice.
* Appropriately assess, examine, investigate, diagnose and treat patients resulting in the safe management of patients and autonomously formulate appropriate management plans.
* Use highly developed technical skills to provide specialist ocular treatments such as YAG laser and SLT.
* Demonstrate a critical understanding of own level of responsibility and autonomy and the limits of one's competence and professional scope of practice, including when working with complexity, risk, uncertainty and incomplete information.
Qualifications
Essential:
* BSc Hons Optometry or equivalent
* GOC registration
* Professional post‑graduate specialist qualification(s) at Masters level or above, relevant to sub‑specialist practice (e.g. College of Optometrists Dip Glau; Dip CL)
* GOC Specialty Registration (Independent Prescribing). Non‑medical prescribing, with evidence of updating knowledge appropriate to patient groups prescribing across a range of ophthalmology sub‑specialty areas
Desirable:
* Postgraduate masters (or higher) level clinical research experience relevant to sub‑specialist practice
* Masters in Advanced Practice or Masters level award
Experience
Essential:
* Extensive experience working with HES including significant extended role work in sub‑speciality
* Experience of all core optometry sub‑specialities (Low vision aid assessments, complex contact lens fitting, complex and paediatric refraction)
* Experience in clinical supervision and teaching.
Location
Ipswich Hospital, Heath Road, Ipswich, IP4 5PD, United Kingdom
Pay & Contract
Band: 8a
Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 per annum (pro rata)
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Part‑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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.
Employer Details
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Ipswich Hospital, Heath Road, Ipswich, IP4 5PD, United Kingdom
Contact
Head Optometrist: Clare Williams
Email: clare.williams@ipswichhospital.nhs.uk
Phone: 01473703232
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