Job overview
Ready to take your first step into hospital optometry?
Are you a newly qualified optometrist eager to move beyond the high street and dive into the exciting world of hospital eye care?
Join us as a Resident Optometrist and kick-start your journey into ophthalmology—where every day brings new learning, challenges, and the chance to make a real difference in patient care.
Why join us?
• No prior hospital experience needed! We welcome both newly qualified and established optometrists with GOC registration ready to grow.
• Gain hands-on experience across a wide range of hospital clinics—from paediatrics to specialist refraction and low vision.
• Work alongside expert consultant ophthalmologists and a dedicated multidisciplinary team.
• Access tailored professional development including College certificates in medical retina, glaucoma, and independent prescribing.
Main duties of the job
What you’ll be doing:
• Deliver high-quality hospital optometry services with practical clinical skills.
• Perform advanced clinical techniques: pachymetry, contact tonometry, slit-lamp exams, visual fields, and imaging.
• Collaborate closely with consultants, optometrists, orthoptists, nurses, and admin staff to ensure outstanding patient care.
• Get involved in clinical teaching, audits, research, and service management—all designed to build your career.
About us:
We’re a busy, dynamic ophthalmology department at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, home to a range of consultant ophthalmologists and a passionate optometry team of 16, ranging from residents to specialists and advanced clinicians. Here, you’ll be a valued team member with strong support to develop your clinical skills and interests.
Addenbrooke’s is one of the largest and most respected hospitals in the UK, known nationally and internationally for delivering outstanding patient care and pioneering clinical research. Our ‘Good’ Care Quality Commission rating reflects the dedication and teamwork that make us a top hospital to work at.
Working for our organisation
Our Trust
Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people – patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing ‘outstanding’ care to our patients and rated ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH’s values – Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent – are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.
CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people’s age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:
- applied for a Graduate visa
- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment
- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employment.
For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.
This vacancy will close at midnight on 29th September 2025
Interviews are due to be held on 8th October 2025
Why choose Cambridge University Hospitals?
• Our values and reputation for outstanding care
• Opportunities to experience a range of specialities
• Career and development opportunities
• Preceptorship and mentoring programmes delivered by a dedicated clinical education support team
• Research experience and opportunities
• Lovely location and quality of life
• Excellent schools/colleges and transport links (road, rail and air)
Benefits to you
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
-B.Sc. (Hons) Optometry degree
-College of Optometrists’ Scheme for Registration complete
-General Optical Council registration
Desirable criteria
-Member of College of Optometrists
Experience
Essential criteria
-Experience managing a range of ophthalmic conditions
-Experience working with adult and paediatric patients
-Experience working as part of a team
Knowledge
Essential criteria
-Knowledge of visual assessment and investigation techniques used in hospital services
-Knowledge of the different approaches to refractive management in children
-Knowledge of essential aspects of low vision assessment and rehabilitation
-Broad understanding of the management of conditions such as macular disease, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy within hospital services
Desirable criteria
-Knowledge of Ocular Therapeutics
-Working knowledge of Community Optometry Pathways
Skills
Essential criteria
-Ability to convey bad news in a sensitive manner
-Ability to work independently and use initiative where appropriate, recognising limitations of ability
-Good interpersonal skills and the ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team
-Accurate written communication skills for writing clinical case notes and reports
-Good attention to detail
-Fine motor skills, e.g. handling of diagnostic lenses
-IT skills; use of Word, Excel
-Ability to adapt to using electronic patient records
Desirable criteria
-Ability to communicate complex clinical information in a range of situations including where there may be barriers to understanding
Additional Requirements
Essential criteria
The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Apply online now
Further details / informal visits contact
Name
Harrison Stewart
Job title
Principal Optometrist
Email address
harrison.stewart@nhs.net