Job summary Working Full time : 10 Sessions per week Applications are invited for a Substantive Consultant Ophthalmologist with a special interest in Neuro-Ophthalmology and Strabismus. This post will be based on 10 Programmed Activities per week and presents an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and motivated individual to join our department and work within our existing team of committed ophthalmic professionals. Main duties of the job The candidate will be expected to integrate within the team of existing consultants in order to provide a complete ophthalmology service. They will be expected to have an interest in Neuro-Ophthalmology and Strabismus, and work to support and further develop the management of Ophthalmology. They will be expected to take part in the general consultant on-call rota. The on-call commitment is shared with Arrowe Park Hospital Consultants and is currently 1 in 16. The post holder will also join the on-duty rota which is also 1 in 16. You will be joining our team of 9 Consultants, 4 Specialty Doctors, 3 Specialty Trainees and 1 ST1/2 Trust doctor, plus our team of Ophthalmic nurses, Optometrists and Orthoptists. The post will be based at The Countess of Chester Hospital site, but also includes outpatient clinic and theatre work for cataract surgery at the new Cheshire & Merseyside Surgical Centre at Victoria Infirmary Northwich (VIN). The Countess of Chester Hospital is situated in a beautiful location on the outskirts of the historic Roman City of Chester. We are within easy access of Liverpool, Manchester Airport, North Wales and the Lake District. The Trust is committed to continued professional development, and to a culture of ongoing service improvement. For further information, informal discussion or to arrange a department visit please contact Mr J Bhargava, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Clinical Lead, on 01244 362238 (Secretary). About us The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations: o The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds.o Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility.o Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population. The Trust employs over 6258 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 407,000. This includes 357,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000. The Trust is a busy district general hospital and in 2022/2023, there were more than 503,342 patient attendances (inpatient, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery. This is an increase of nearly 10,000 compared to the previous year when there were 494,387 patient attendances. Date posted 19 February 2025 Pay scheme Hospital medical and dental staff Grade Consultant Salary £105,504 to £139,882 a year pa Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time Reference number 210-2025-108 Job locations Countess of Chester hospital Liverpool Road Chester CH2 1UL Job description Job responsibilities For detailed description, please see Job Description. Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £27.50 (standard) or £55.50 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16per year applies. New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above. Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date. Good luck with your application. Job description Job responsibilities For detailed description, please see Job Description. Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £27.50 (standard) or £55.50 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16per year applies. New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above. Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date. Good luck with your application. Person Specification Qualifications & Skills Essential FRCOphth or equivalent On Specialist Register of the General Medical Council or within six months of anticipated CCT date on the date of interview Desirable MD/PhD Clinical Experience and Effectiveness Essential Wide clinical experience in Neuro-Ophthalmology and Strabismus Experience in cataract surgery Participation in on-call Teaching & Training Experience Essential Experience / interest in teaching Desirable Attendance at teaching skills courses Attendance at teaching skills courses Essential Demonstrable use of Clinical Audit within a Service Demonstrable use of research and evidence base to practice Understanding of importance of management skills Desirable Relevant experience in undertaking and organisation of Audit Research and publications relevant to Neuro-Ophthalmology and Strabismus Attendance at relevant courses Personal Attributes Essential Ability to integrate within, motivate, and provide professional leadership in a multi-disciplinary team Person Specification Qualifications & Skills Essential FRCOphth or equivalent On Specialist Register of the General Medical Council or within six months of anticipated CCT date on the date of interview Desirable MD/PhD Clinical Experience and Effectiveness Essential Wide clinical experience in Neuro-Ophthalmology and Strabismus Experience in cataract surgery Participation in on-call Teaching & Training Experience Essential Experience / interest in teaching Desirable Attendance at teaching skills courses Attendance at teaching skills courses Essential Demonstrable use of Clinical Audit within a Service Demonstrable use of research and evidence base to practice Understanding of importance of management skills Desirable Relevant experience in undertaking and organisation of Audit Research and publications relevant to Neuro-Ophthalmology and Strabismus Attendance at relevant courses Personal Attributes Essential Ability to integrate within, motivate, and provide professional leadership in a multi-disciplinary team 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. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Additional information 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. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Employer details Employer name Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Address Countess of Chester hospital Liverpool Road Chester CH2 1UL Employer's website https://www.coch.nhs.uk/working-with-us.aspx (Opens in a new tab)