Bank Orthoptist B7 | The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
| Dyddiad hysbysebu: | 14 Awst 2025 |
|---|---|
| Cyflog: | Heb ei nodi |
| Gwybodaeth ychwanegol am y cyflog: | £27.78 - £41.94 All of the above rates attract 12.07% WTD |
| Oriau: | Rhan Amser |
| Dyddiad cau: | 13 Medi 2025 |
| Lleoliad: | Uxbridge, UB8 3NN |
| Cwmni: | The Hillingdon Hospital |
| Math o swydd: | Parhaol |
| Cyfeirnod swydd: | 7418380/394-BankOrthoptist-115-B |
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This is a great time to join The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a Highly Specialist Orthoptist.
We have over 3,500 members of staff that are proud to care for nearly half a million people across the Borough of Hillingdon, with a vision to be an outstanding provider of healthcare - our mission is to provide high quality, safe and compassionate care, improving the health and wellbeing of the people we serve.
We are seeking an experienced, highly motivated and proactive individual to work with the current team of 3 Orthoptists to work at Hillingdon and Mount Vernon Hospitals together with community clinics and the post holder will be expected to develop extended role in AMD clinics.
The successful applicant will work as part of the team with a mixed workload including orthoptic/optometry clinics, joint consultant paediatric and adult motility clinics, stroke assessments for in-patients and out-patients, acute referrals from GPs, Neurology, Maxillo-facial, Paediatrics, Stroke Service, Endocrinology and A &E.
An Orthoptic/ optometry led fast track clinic receives school nurse, optician, child development centre and health visitor referrals.
A comprehensive ophthalmology service is provided by 12 Ophthalmologists with general and speciality clinics including Paediatrics, Ocular-motility, Botulinum Toxin, AMD, Diabetic, Glaucoma, Medical Retinal, Oculoplastic and Corneal.
§ To provide highly specialist orthoptic services as an autonomous practitioner.
§ To assess, diagnose and manage children referred to Orthoptics, many with complex needs and challenging behaviour.
§ To assess, diagnose and manage adult patients referred to orthoptics –often as emergency appointments.
§ To provide and develop paediatric and adult orthoptic services within the Trust and the Community
§ To develop extended role in AMD clinics.
§ To educate and train undergraduate orthoptic students, pre-registration optometrists, junior doctors, school nurses and other health professionals.
§ To deputise for the Head Orthoptist in their absence
This is a great time to join The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, we are currently in the process of redeveloping the hospital to provide a state-of-the-art hospital for the residents of Hillingdon, and beyond, which supports the very best in delivery of healthcare and will be fit for our future.
We are the only acute hospital in the London Borough of Hillingdon and offer a wide range of services including accident and emergency, inpatient care, day surgery, outpatient clinics and maternity services. The Trust’s services at Mount Vernon Hospital include routine day surgery, delivered at a modern treatment centre, a minor injuries unit and outpatient clinics.
Orthoptic Clinical Duties
§ To work as an autonomous practitioner, prioritising workload and legally and professionally responsible for all aspects of own work.
§ To provide the assessment and management of patients referred to orthoptics by various departments including paediatrics, A&E, maxillo-facial, CDC, neurology, endocrinology, Stroke Unit etc.
§ Carry out accurate orthoptic assessment on all patients attending a specialist paediatric ophthalmology clinic, requiring advanced clinical skills in the visual assessment of premature babies and infants with multiple disabilities, complex congenital and genetic disorders and challenging behaviour.
§ To be responsible for the instillation of dilating eye drops prior to retinoscopy and fundus examination, according to departmental protocols / PGDs.
§ To use clinical judgement and department protocols for the orthoptic management of patients, taking responsibility for commencing treatment, follow up appointments, appropriate onward referral or discharge from the orthoptic service.
§ Formulate individual treatment plans for patients to suit their needs using advanced clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice.
§ Take sole responsibility to select patients requiring surgical intervention for squint correction, discuss the pros and cons of surgery and explain the techniques involved to the parents.
§ Undertake pre and post operative assessments requiring significant manual dexterity, speed and accuracy in infants.
§ Discuss the selection of surgical management with the surgeon and give advice regarding the type and amount of surgery based on the orthoptic assessment.
§ Examine post operative cases on the day of surgery for adjustable sutures or 2 weeks post op.
§ Perform urgent diagnostic tests for patients attending eye casualty with symptoms, formulate a diagnosis and have sole responsibility for suggesting further diagnostic tests to the medical staff for patients with possible signs of systemic disease/orbital fracture/space occupying lesions. This requires a high level of anatomical and neurological knowledge.
§ To work in the Trust and the Community, in conjunction with the optometrist to an agreed Fast Track protocol, assessing infants and children referred by GPs, school nurses and health visitors with suspected squint, refractive error or amblyopia.
§ To develop the extended role of the orthoptist in AMD clinics, including training, shadowing consultant and once competency has been achieved intravitreal injections and clinics.
§ To liaise with the Visual Impairment Service and health professionals regarding the educational and social needs of patients.
§ Carry out pre and post Botulinum toxin assessments, pre and post op assessments, including suture adjustment on day of surgery.
§ To assist in the monitoring, maintenance and development of professional standards.
§ To participate in writing departmental protocols and patient information leaflets.
§ To work to the agreed departmental protocols.
§ To liaise with the Head Orthoptist regarding problems arising from any orthoptic treatment.
• To provide clinical supervision and teaching for undergraduate Orthoptic students on clinical placement from Liverpool and Sheffield Universities.
• To provide training in orthoptics and assessment of visual acuity to other health professionals including medical students, junior doctors, pre reg optometrists, ophthalmic nurses, student nurses, and school nurses.
• To give telephone advice to school nurses and HCAs carrying out school vision screening.
• To participate in the Western Eye Hospital teaching programme.
• To assist and provide internal cover for colleagues during periods of annual leave, sickness or vacancies cross-site.
§ Deputise for the Head Orthoptist in their absence.
§ Take part in department audits,
Communication
§ To demonstrate excellent and professional communication skills with all staff, patients, parents/or carers.
§ To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team of orthoptists, ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses, medical photographers, clerical staff and other employees.
§ To report capability, attendance and disciplinary issues to the Head orthoptist in a timely manner.
§ To be aware of barriers to communication and to overcome them effectively using the services of an interpreter with patients or carers where the first language is not English or who have a hearing disability.
§ Communicate sensitive and potentially upsetting news to patients orparents regarding their visual prognosis or that of their child, often requiring a significant degree of empathy and family support.
§ To utilise a range of verbal and non-verbal communication skills to communicate a complex diagnosis and to gain consent for treatment plans in order to achieve maximum visual improvement. This may include patients with complex emotional or psychological problems and those with learning difficulties.
§ Educate the parents on the causes of ocular defects and need for optical correction.
§ Communicate with outside agencies for example passing on information regarding visual ability to the sensory impairment agency and the findings from a dyslexia assessment to educational psychologist.
Working Environment
§ Patient examination frequently requires working in uncomfortable working positions e.g. leaning forward, kneeling, squatting whilst maintaining an awkward posture (especially with babies in buggies, persons in wheelchairs) whilst manipulating clinical equipment with both hands.
§ Significant periods of the working day are spent working in darkness and semi-darkness.
§ Working conditions may be unpleasant with exposure to fleas, lice, HIV, MRSA, colds & coughs, childhood illnesses (such as chickenpox and measles) and body fluids.
§ Manual Handling is regularly required, e.g. movement of patients (from wheelchairs to examination chairs), movement of equipment and moving wheelchairs.
§ At all times continual concentration and significant mental effort (including frequent numeric analysis) are required to ensure an accurate and correct investigation is conducted, hence arriving at the correct diagnosis and implementing the correct management plan.
§ Frequently patients and their carers/relatives can be emotional and distressed. In these situations, a high level of mental effort is required to deal with the emotional situation but at the same time remain focussed on performing an accurate assessment.
§ It is necessary to maintain concentration despite regular interruptions during the clinical sessions. These include – clinical enquiries from other colleagues, disruptive behaviour from patients &or their relatives, telephone calls and assisting or advising.
This advert closes on Thursday 28 Aug 2025