Bristol Eye Hospital is inviting applications from enthusiastic and motivated optometrists to join the Optometry team. Please note there is a permanent and fixed term role available.

Based in our Optometry Department, Extended Role (Specialist) Optometrists are involved in delivering care to people within a range of services including medical retina, anterior segment glaucoma and research.

Primarily in the medical retina and anterior segment services, you will have the opportunity to also work in the glaucoma service and the clinical research unit. You will work alongside optometrists and the wider multidisciplinary team in routine patient facing and virtual review clinics, as well as new patient clinics under supervision.

Working closely with the multi-professional teams within services, you will also liaise with between services within the Bristol and Weston Hospital Eye service.

About you:

You are an optometrist with a commitment to professional and personal development and an enthusiasm for complex clinical work as well as service innovation. You may have previous hospital experience or have hold higher qualifications, although training is available in post which will support you gaining both.

Keen to be fully engaged with the department, and to contribute to team development as well as clinical service delivery, you will be able to be involved in clinical teaching as well as actively input into audit and service improvement.

Main duties of the job

About the Optometry Department:

The Optometry Department at Bristol Eye Hospital is well established and integrated into the multidisciplinary environment of the hospital, providing clinical management of eye health to people in Bristol, Weston and across the South West of England.

Optometrists in the department are a diverse team of highly capable clinicians who work across a broad range of multi-professional services from highly skilled core optometry to complex and specialised services, including cornea, medical retina, glaucoma, paediatrics and ED.

Frequently engaged with the broader aspects of optometry and eye health, including education, research and leadership, optometrists in the department are encouraged to develop professionally as well as personally.

About us

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as 'Good' overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward-thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Registration with the General Optical Council
• BSc Hons Optometry or equivalent

Desirable

• Relevant specialist masters (or higher) level postgraduate qualification(s) or clinical research experience relevant to sub-specialist practice.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Highly developed and proven specialist knowledge, at Masters level or above, across multiple areas of specialist clinical practice beyond conventional hospital or community optometry
• Multidisciplinary team working

Desirable

• Previous hospital experience

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Specialist clinical practice beyond conventional hospital or community optometry
• Can teach or supervise trainees & address queries from support staff whilst performing clinical duties
• Must be able to travel to and perform peripheral clinics as required (i.e. locations away from Bristol Eye Hospital)
• Normal binocular vision
• Able to reach decisions regarding management of sight threatening disease when guided by knowledge of principles of sub-specialist clinical care and care provision algorithms

Desirable

• Specialist clinical assessment skills for patients with active and sight-threatening disease in specific areas of clinical practice
• Specialist ancillary test interpretation skills (e.g. visual function and ocular imaging tests) as used by specialist medical staff

Aptitudes

Essential

• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills ability to communicate complex, sensitive and potentially conflicting information to patients and other stakeholders in an appropriate manner independent of their level of understanding
• Ability to empathise regarding loss of sight and prognoses including blindness and threats to general health from systemic disease with ocular/visual manifestations
• Able to work within a multidisciplinary team & gain credibility with all staff

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)

Address

Bristol Eye Hospital

Lower Maudlin Street

Bristol

BS1 2LX

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

387-S-6035-NG