Job Title

Main area Ophthalmology Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Permanent: IF the successful candidate is a new graduate the post would be offered as a Band 5 to Band 6 run through over a period of 12-24 months depending on progress. Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday) Job ref 361-7340393 Site New QE2 Hospital Town Welwyn Garden City Salary per annum + 5% HCAS of basic salary Closing 26/08/2025 23:59 Here at East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, Our mission is: Providing high-quality, compassionate care for our communities Our vision to 2030 is: To be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service Job overviewWe are recruiting for a Specialist Orthoptist who share our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients. We would encourage new graduates to apply for the post also. Should they be successful at interview the post would be offered as a Band 5 to Band 6 run through post. Preceptorship and mentorship would be provided to support this professional development. The Ophthalmology service is currently provided by 7 consultant ophthalmologists, specialising in the areas of Paediatric Ophthalmology, Medical retina, Glaucoma, Oculoplastic and Vitreoretinal surgery. The consultants are supported by a comprehensive team of associate specialists, including junior training posts which are part of the Cambridge deanery. The Trust is actively supporting the development of extended role working for Allied Health Professionals in line with the Royal College of Ophthalmology’s Common Core Clinical Competencies Framework; the successful candidate would be instrumental in aiding the development of these roles within the orthoptic service. In addition, you will receive a High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of your basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1,258 and a maximum payment of £2,121 per annum pro rata. At the heart of everything we do are our core values: Include, Respect, and Improve. We encourage you to embrace these values throughout the recruitment process and in your role with us. Main duties of the jobThe successful candidate will provide comprehensive orthoptic services as an autonomous practitioner and to prioritise own clinical caseload. You will assess, diagnose and manage patients referred to the Orthoptic Department and to liaise with appropriate professionals . You will also organise your caseload efficiently and effectively regarding clinical priority and use of time, tomaintain clear and accurate patient records. The post holder will also be responsible for the planning , implementing and reviewing of treatments for a mixed caseload, using advanced clinical knowledge and evidence-based practice. Working for our organisationAt East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general and specialist services we provide and our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible and innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now. We run the following hospitals: The Lister Hospital, Stevenage New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City Hertford County, Hertford We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation and our staff and patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda. We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. This means that any employee is entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns and we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made and considered formally, and will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen. Detailed job description and main responsibilitiesPlease see the attached Job Description and Person Specification applicant pack for further detailed information regarding this role. Person specificationQualifications / TrainingOrthoptic qualification recognised for State Registration (Diploma or Degree State registration with the HCPC Evidence of CPD Recognised clinical teaching qualification Previous ExperienceExperience of assessment of patients with special educational needs Post graduate experience at a Junior level (Band 5 Orthoptist) Experience of clinical supervision of students Experience in working single-handed SkillsAbility to assess patients and develop a comprehensive care plan Well-developed interpersonal skills; ability to communicate with a wide range of staff, patients and the public Ability to maintain clear & accurate patient records Well developed skills in working with children Well-developed organisational and administrative skills Team working skills and being able to work independently KnowledgeEvidence of extensive orthoptic knowledge Ability to work under pressure and self-motivated. Ability to assess, prioritise and manage time and resources Awareness of own strengths and weaknesses Other RequirementsExperience and evidence of engagement around equality, diversity and inclusion issues in relation to policy, service development and service delivery in respect of both services to users and the management of staff Role model our Trust values every day Our values We want our staff to believe in, demonstrate and live our values in everything we do. Include We value the diversity and experience of our community colleagues and partners, creating relationships and climates that provide an opportunity to share, collaborate and grow together. Respect We create a safe environment where we are curious of the lived experience of others, seek out best practice and are open to listening and hearing new ideas. Improve We are committed to consistently delivering excellent services and continuously looking to improve through a creative workforce that feels empowered to act in service of our shared purpose. Committed to our Community East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion for all job applicants, staff, patients and the wider community. We want to create a workforce which represents the communities we serve. We are on a journey to become a more inclusive organisation and we welcome applications from everyone regardless of their background. In particular we encourage applications from candidates with disabilities, and candidates from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who are currently under-represented in various parts of our workforce . We understand the importance of balancing work and home life. We are committed to support flexible working for our staff wherever possible and all our employees are given the opportunity to discuss potential for flexible working. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and achieved our status in 2019. We will remove barriers that prospective candidates might face at any stage of our recruitment process. If you have a disability and would like the advert in an alternative format, or would like to talk about how we can adjust the interview process to best support you, please contact us by emailing resourcing.enh-tr@ We are also proud to support our UK armed forces by supporting Reservists, Cadet Instructors, Veterans and military spouses/partners into employment and offering supportive policies that value their contribution to the community and to our Trust. We are committed to being a carer-friendly environment, addressing the complex needs of families with caring responsibilities. In partnership with Carers in Hertfordshire, all our working carers have access to support from recruitment. We are also a member of Carers UK, providing resources to make balancing work and caring easier. Our approach is inclusive, recognizing diverse challenges and creating a supportive environment where carers feel valued. When you apply... Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date in certain circumstances. Please ensure that you make your application as soon as possible. All correspondence relating to vacancies will be via the e-mail address you have provided on your application form. Some servers automatically send e-mails to your junk mail so please check as well as your inbox. As a publicly funded employer, we need to ensure we utilise our funds responsibly, this may mean we are unable to support sponsorship required to gain the right to work for particular positions. We strongly advise you to contact the line manager or a member of the Resourcing Team before applying to confirm if we will be able to support with sponsorship for that post. King's Trust Support If you’re aged between 16 and 30 years-old, you can get FREE employability support from The King’s Trust. The King’s Trust will help build your CV and cover letter, offer advice and top tips for future interviews and support you with research about working in the NHS. Please contact [email protected] for support. Secondments/Fixed term Where a vacancy is advertised as a temporary position, the duration will be specified in the advert. If the vacancy becomes permanent towards the end of the specified duration, the successful applicant may not be required to re-apply and can be slotted into the role on a permanent basis if appropriate. If you are an internal applicant applying for a temporary working arrangement, please see the attached notes on secondments. 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