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Band 7 Deputy Head Orthoptist

On-site in Worcester·Full-time·Added today (last checked 12 Nov)

Our summary

Salary
£49,387 - £56,515 a year

About £3,260 - £3,610 a month after tax.

Work mode
On-site, Worcester
Contract
Full-time
Closing date
Apply by Thursday 26 November

Skills

The role

Job summary

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is looking to recruit an enthusiastic Orthoptist to take up the position as Deputy Head Orthoptist.

The role will cover a wide variety of different Orthoptic clinics with potential to explore extended roles as well as deputising for the Head of Orthoptics & Optometry and assisting in departmental managerial duties.

This position is full time (37.5 hours) and the post will cover working countywide across Worcester Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Treatment Centre, Princess of Wales Hospital - Bromsgrove and The Alexandra Hospital - Redditch, as required.

Main duties of the job

Clinical duties

  • To work alongside the Orthoptic, Optometry and wider Ophthalmology team in providing an Orthoptic service within the Worcestershire region.
  • To provide Orthoptic input during Ophthamology clinics including Paediatric, Neuro-Ophthalmology and Acute Ophthalmology clinics
  • To assist in specialist Orthoptic Stroke clinics (training provided if needed)
  • To assist in the performing of Goldmann Visual Fields (training provided if needed)
  • To assist in the performing of Biometry assessments during Cataract Assessment Clinics (training provided if needed)

Administrative Duties

  • Be responsible for the administration required whilst carrying out clinical case load
  • Deputise for the Head of Orthoptics & Optometry when required
  • Assist in Orthoptic Managerial duties as required.
  • Assist in the triaging of referrals as required.
About us

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Being open and honest

Ensuring people feel cared for

Showing respect to everyone

We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

DBS Checks and Costs

Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.

Job description

Job responsibilities

*Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description*

To provide Orthoptic Services as an autonomous practitioner in the acute and community sectors.

To act as a source of expertise providing the diagnosis, management, treatment and discharge planning of patients presenting with acute and longstanding visual and ocular motility deficits.

To effectively deliver, individually and as part of a team, highly specialised levels of Orthoptic investigation and assessment.

To use analytical skills to diagnose and treat a range of conditions as necessary. To Lead and manage one of the orthoptic extended roles and its team.

To work as an active member of multi-disciplinary teams.

To educate and train Orthoptic Undergraduate Students and other health-care professionals.

To assist in the day to day management of the Orthoptic Department, leading in the absence of the Head of Orthoptics & Optometry.

The post-holder will work with the Acute and Community Sectors to ensure continuity of care for all patients and audit the service on an on-going basis.

To be responsible for the Orthoptic assessment, diagnosis, management and treatment of patients referred to the Orthoptic Department from various departments, including paediatrics, accident and emergency, maxillo-facial, neurophysiology, neurology etc of patients ranging from paediatric to the elderly.

To take sole responsibility to formulate relevant discharge plans and onward referral. This patient group comprises all cases of ocular motility defects and amblyopia (reduced vision with no pathological cause), complex congenital and acquired cases, including neurological abnormalities, genetic disorders and associated ocular abnormalities.

To be responsible as an autonomous practitioner for the evaluation of visual acuity and visual behaviour in referrals from the specialist services. This includes infants with strabismus (squint) and amblyopia, congenital or developmental abnormalities, genetic referral, non-reading adults, children and adults with severe learning difficulties as well as acute ocular motility defects in both children and adults.

To be responsible for planning, implementing and monitoring individual treatment plans/care pathways for patients of all ages using advanced clinical reasoning and evidence based practice.

To act as Clinical Tutor to Undergraduate Orthoptic Students.

To undertake training of other healthcare professionals

To contribute to multi-disciplinary care.

Person Specification

Personal Qualities
Essential
  • Empathy
  • Patience
Other Job Requirements
Essential
  • Reliable Work Record
  • DBS Clearance
Desirable
  • Driving License and access to own vehicle to allow for cross county working
Skills / Knowledge
Essential
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Good organisational skills
Desirable
  • Good IT Skills
Experience
Essential
  • Wide range of Orthoptic experience as a qualified Orthoptist
Desirable
  • Experience in Managerial duties
  • Experience in assessment of Orthoptic Stroke patients
  • Experience in Low Vision Clinics
  • Experience in Goldmann visual field testing
  • Experience in carrying out Biometries for cataract patients
  • Experience in school vision screening
Qualifications
Essential
  • Degree or Diploma in Orthoptics
  • Post Graduate Experience
  • Registration with HCPC
Desirable
  • Teaching qualification
  • Evidence of CPD
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

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

Charles Hastings Way

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR5 1DD

United Kingdom


Employer's website

https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Details

Date posted

12 November 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£49,387 to £56,515 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9365-26-0868

Job locations

Charles Hastings Way

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR5 1DD

United Kingdom


Princess Of Wales Community Hospital

Stourbridge Road

BROMSGROVE

Worcestershire

B61 0BB

United Kingdom


Kidderminster General Hospital

Bewdley Road

KIDDERMINSTER

Worcestershire

DY11 6RJ

United Kingdom


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