Job Title

Employer East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site William Harvey Hospital Town Ashford Salary £47,810 - £54,710 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 19/08/2025 23:59 Lead Orthoptist for William Harvey Hospital and the Urgent Eye ServiceBand 7Job overviewWe are looking for a highly motivated orthoptist keen to be part of a team of 10 Orthoptists. You will work alongside Consultant Ophthalmologists, Orthoptic Clinical Assistant, Optometrists, Ophthalmic Nurses and Ophthalmic Technicians. The post provides a varied and challenging case load including paediatric ophthalmology specialist clinics, ocular motility and botulinum toxin clinics, neuro-ophthalmology, stroke and trauma patients. Orthoptists in the team currently assist in theatre and are working towards OPT in medical retina. We are an accredited department for orthoptic under-graduates on placement and as a teaching hospital we are involved in the clinical teaching of medical students, junior doctors and pre-registration optometrists. The successful candidate will be required to work as part of an enthusiastic multi-disciplinary team. Main duties of the jobTo lead the Orthoptic service based at William Harvey Hospital. To work with the Urgent Eye Service to ensure appropriate orthoptic provision is in place, offer guidance on referrals relating to the orthoptic specialism and provide teaching as required. The investigation, diagnosis and management of cases referred to the orthoptic department. Formulate an ongoing plan of treatment for a wide range of conditions. To liaise with or make onward referrals to ophthalmology and other professionals as appropriate. Dispense medication according to patient group directives/medical exemptions. Communicate complex, sensitive information which is condition specific to patients, relatives and carers. Demonstrable commitment to Continuing Professional Development and Clinical Governance. Working for our organisationWe are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference’. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.Please note that if you require a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK you must declare this on your application form, even if you currently have a certificate of sponsorship or a work permit for another role and are already working in the country. Please note we are only able to sponsor candidates on a Skilled Worker Visa applying for roles Band 5 and above. Detailed job description and main responsibilitiesPlease scroll down to access the full Job Description and Person Specification located in ‘Documents to download’. If you have further queries please don’t hesitate to contact the line manager using the contact details below. Person specificationQualificationsDegree/Masters in Orthoptics or Diploma from the British Orthoptic Council HCPC Registration Evidence of continuing professional development within chosen specialty orthoptics and ophthalmology. Evidence of post-graduate specialist training BIOS recognised teaching qualification Clinical skills and experienceSignificant postgraduate healthcare experience demonstrating professional development across the four pillars of practice Extensive experience of care of the managing complex orthoptic patients and advanced clinical reasoning skills Experience of working with patients/service users to resolve concerns and improve their experience Evidence of effective networking or matrix working Experience of supervising staff and delivering training Experience of assessing patients and developing specialised programmes of care Experience of presenting to groups of staff/public Competent to perform Goldmann Visual Fields Experience conducting research GovernanceUnderstanding of quality governance, patient safety and patient experience tools to support clinical practice and service improvement. Sound knowledge and understanding of national policy and guidance Utilisation of clinical effectiveness tools to deliver quality improvement e.g. risk management and clinical audit. Evidence of innovative practice utilising research and audit. Experience of contributing to quality improvement in safety/quality improvement projects. Experience of writing reports and presenting to teams or small groups Experience of implementing and evaluating improvements in care Personal/ professional attributesAbility to work within a team to achieving goals for a shared vision. Evidence of service development and delivery in practice. Knowledge of health policy and application to practice. Ability to problem solve, anticipate and plan, individually and within a team Other requirementsFlexibility in working patterns to meet the needs of the service Commitment to equity and diversity Self-motivated, positive, adaptable and flexible approach Upholds and role models the Trust values Ability to travel independently to all sites in a timely manner Filmed in William Harvey and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother hospitals, the ‘We are the NHS’ campaign highlights the extraordinary work that staff across EKHUFT do every single day. As one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a population of over one million people, EKHUFT was perfectly placed to demonstrate the care, cutting-edge treatments, research, innovations and life-saving operations that the campaign needed. There are lots of great opportunities at East Kent Hospitals, where staff are caring and put patients first, innovation flourishes and you can develop your career. We’re on an exciting journey of transformation. With a new Medical School at the centre of our community, a focus on research, clinical leadership and making our trust a rewarding and friendly place to work, there’s never been a better time to join us.To find out more about east Kent visit our website at. The Trust fully supports the SAS Doctors Charter and is committed to their development through its CPD Framework. We’ll close this job advert once we’ve received sufficient applications which may be before the closing date so please apply as soon as possible. We only accept online applications. If you have any difficulty with this please contact our Resourcing Team on 01227 866450 who are happy to help. We have a relocation policy for eligible candidates, parking available at Trust sites but we encourage other options, like car sharing or public transport. The Trust is committed to supporting flexible working to fulfil our pledge as part of The Trust’s People Strategy to help staff to achieve a healthy work/life balance. Please speak with your Recruiting Manager for further information on how this can be managed alongside department expectations and requirements. The ability to converse easily and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for all customer facing roles. Most positions require a Disclosure and Barring check and will be exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Posts working regularly or unsupervised with children or vulnerable adults require an enhanced check. Applicants for eligible roles requiring Tier 2 sponsorship must meet UK Visas and Immigration eligibility criteria. We operate a no-smoking policy on all our sites and grounds. You can search for and apply for roles directly on our website. If you are applying via NHS Jobs your application will be sent to our recruitment system TRAC. All subsequent information will be generated from TRAC so you won’t be able to see the progress of your application or receive messages through NHS Jobs and we won’t be able to respond to e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to us transferring your application and details to our system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records. Good luck with your application, we’ll contact you via email so please check your junk/spam folders. Employer certification / accreditation badgesYou 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.#J-18808-Ljbffr