University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)
Bristol Eye Hospital is inviting applications from enthusiastic and motivated optometrists to join the Optometry team in the Glaucoma and/or Medical Retina Service.
The Optometry Department is well established and integrated into the multidisciplinary environment of the hospital, providing ophthalmic clinical management to people in Bristol, Weston, and across the South West of England. Optometrists work across a broad range of multi-professional services from highly skilled core optometry to complex and specialised services, including glaucoma, cornea, uveitis, medical retina, and ED.
You will be based in the Glaucoma Service and/or the Medical Retina Service with clinical responsibilities in patient-facing clinics for both routine and complex case mixes, new patient clinics, virtual clinic review, and potential to deliver selective laser trabeculoplasty.
Candidates will have the highest level of clinical experience and qualifications enabling them to work autonomously as well as under supervision.
Successful applicants will be fully engaged with the department, contributing to team development and clinical service delivery through high-quality supervision and teaching, as well as active input into audit and clinical governance.
Clinics are located at both Bristol Eye Hospital and Weston General Hospital locations. The role will be interesting, varied, and there is significant scope for professional and personal development.
Main Duties of the Job
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 have a high level of clinical experience in glaucoma which will enable you to manage a high volume complex caseload in the glaucoma service. Your highly developed specialist knowledge has been evidenced by holding the College of Optometrists Diploma in Glaucoma.
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 provide high-quality supervision and teaching as well as actively input into audit and clinical governance.
The post is for a permanent full-time position (10 sessions a week); working one day in medical retina and four days in the glaucoma service, with part-time and job shares considered with a commitment of two days a week as a preferred minimum.
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.
Job Responsibilities
For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience
* 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.
* Significant specialist clinical experience in assessment & management of patients with active and sight-threatening disease across multiple areas of specialist clinical practice.
* Significant specialist clinical experience in the management of patients with ocular/visual manifestations of systemic disease that may threaten general health.
* Advanced understanding of all relevant national clinical guidance (e.g. NICE guidelines; College of Optometrists Clinical Management Guidelines; Royal College of Ophthalmologists guidelines).
Skills and Abilities
* Specialist clinical practice beyond conventional hospital or community optometry.
* Specialist clinical assessment skills for patients with active and sight-threatening disease across multiple areas of sub-specialist clinical practice.
* Specialist ancillary test interpretation skills (e.g. visual function and ocular imaging tests) as used by specialist medical staff.
* Can teach or supervise trainees and 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).
* Ability to quickly interpret complex and potentially conflicting clinical information.
* Normal binocular vision.
* 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 and gain credibility with all staff.
* Capable of performing sustained high-intensity work in a pressurised clinical environment.
Qualifications and Training
* Registration with the General Optical Council.
* BSc Hons Optometry or equivalent.
* Professional post-graduate specialist qualification(s) at masters level or higher, relevant to job plan (e.g. College of Optometrists DipGlauc, Higher Prof Cert Med Ret).
* GOC Speciality Registration in Independent Prescribing.
* Postgraduate masters (or higher) level clinical audit or research experience relevant to sub-specialist practice.
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.
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