Specialist Optometrist
George Eliot Hospital NHS TrustGeorge Eliot Hospital NHS Trust opened in 1948 and provides a range of elective, non-elective, surgical, medical, women’s, children’s, diagnostic and therapeutic services to a population of more than 350,000 people.
The hub of the Trust is located on the outskirts of Nuneaton and its services cover a large footprint, including north Warwickshire, south west Leicestershire, and north Coventry. We also provide primary and community services across Coventry, Warwickshire and Leicestershire.
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Job overview
Specialist Optometrist - (must have paediatric experience)
22.5 hours per week (Full time will be considered)
Permanent
Salary: £55,690 - £62,682 per annum, pro rata
Closing Date: 28th September 2025
Interview Date: TBC
**This post may close early due to high numbers of applications, so you are advised to apply promptly.**
All correspondence for this vacancy will be sent by email; please check your account regularly including your Junk and SPAM areas.
A great and friendly place to work, so bring your passion, commitment and expertise and enjoy the opportunities to make a difference every day.
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** We are happy to support candidates who are either interested or have started their independent prescribing course **
The post holder will have clinical responsibility for the Specialist Paediatric and Adult Refraction Clinics.
To be an autonomous practitioner providing highly skilled and specialised HES Optometry Services to George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton (GEH).
To work closely with the Ophthalmology Management to deliver a comprehensive range of specialist optometry services to the highest standards of quality and patient care.
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- To undertake full range of Optometry Services as required, providing expert treatment and advice.
- To appropriately assess, examine, investigate, diagnose and treat patients resulting in the safe management of patients, autonomously formulate appropriate management plans for patients.
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of own level of responsibility and autonomy and the limits of own competence and professional scope of practice, including when working with complexity, risk, uncertainty and incomplete information.
- Prescribe and review medication (as an independent prescriber) for therapeutic effectiveness appropriate to patient need and in accordance with best/evidence-based practice and national and local protocols and within the role’s scope of practice and legal framework.
- Ability to order and interpret diagnostic pathological, microbial, and/or radiographic investigations (e.g. blood tests, ocular swabs, MRI etc) using findings to initiate treatment.
- To develop virtual clinics, within own advanced sub-specialty role, in line with the service demands. Developed scope of advanced clinical skills and practice to meet changing needs of service.
- Need for high levels of continuous concentration requiring working under significant pressure, with frequent interruptions from other clinical staff requiring advice.
- To support consultants on the day of surgery by conducting slit lamp examinations to ensure all patient history remains up to date.
Working for our organisation
Here at George Eliot our vision to ‘excel at patient care’ takes centre stage. An ever evolving clinically-led acute service provider we are on a journey to continually provide high quality, safe and responsive services delivered by inspiring, friendly and compassionate staff who share our corporate values which underpin everything we do. Our values are not just words on a piece of paper, they bond us together, reflect our ambition and shape who we are:
Effective Open Communication
excellence and safety in everything we do
Challenge but support
Expect respect and dignity
Local health that inspires confidence
Benefits: On-site nursery, 27 days minimum annual leave plus bank holidays, cycle to work scheme, flexible working, in house training and development, buying and selling of annual leave, subsidised restaurant, tranquillity garden and generous subsidised on-site parking.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- The post holder is required to contribute to the teaching, audit, and clinical governance requirements of the Ophthalmology service. Ophthalmology staff work as part of a multidisciplinary team and all members contribute to providing a high-quality service for its users.
- If the post holder is a registered independent non- medical prescriber, to prescribe medicines for patients, working within the GEH Policy and Procedure for Non- medical Prescribing and Directorate’s local guidelines/procedures.
- To ensure prescribing activities comply with legal requirements and HCPC guidance for non-medical prescribers. To maintain competence under the National Competency Framework for all Prescribers. To monitor own prescribing activities and participate in the evaluation of this service development.
- To be an autonomous practitioner providing highly skilled and specialised HES optometric services to George Eliot Hospital Nuneaton (GEH).
- To work closely with the Ophthalmology Management to deliver a comprehensive range of specialist optometry services to the highest standards of quality and patient care.
- The post holder will have clinical responsibility for the specialist paediatric and adult refraction clinics.
- Patients may have specific learning difficulties, special needs, various degrees of visual disability and varying communication skills.
- The post holder will participate in multi-disciplinary Paediatric clinics, working under the direction of the lead Consultant assessing both new and follow up patients.
- The post holder is required to contribute to the teaching, audit, and clinical governance requirements of the Ophthalmology service. Ophthalmology staff work as part of a multidisciplinary team and all members contribute to providing a high-quality service for its users.
For a full comprehensive list of main responsibilities and duties, please kindly refer to job description and person specification attached.
Please note:
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust utilises a third party recruitment system (TRAC). When applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into TRAC where all subsequent information regarding your application will be generated. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages via the NHS Jobs website. Furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any emails/messages sent to us via the NHS Jobs website.
By applying for this post you are consenting to George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system, TRAC.
The Job application data you provide will be used to assess your application for employment at GEH, to verify your information and conduct reference checks, and to communicate with you. If you accept employment with GEH, the information collected will become part of your employment record and will be used for employment purposes.
All information provided will be used for recruitment purposes only and processed in a lawful, fair and transparent manner.
Other:
The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of individuals and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. As part of our safe recruitment practice, if appropriate for the role, it is a mandatory requirement for all newly appointed staff to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service application.
In response to NICE guidance and to support the reduction of health harm from tobacco, the Trust has a smoke-free site policy which applies to anyone on Trust sites. Staff who smoke will be supported to quit or not smoke whilst on Trust sites.
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust is committed to creating and sustaining a positive and inclusive working environment for all our employees as they are at the heart of our patients journey. Our aim is to ensure that employees are equally valued, respected, empowered and included within an organisation that is representative of all members of the community. We define diversity as valuing everyone as an individual – taking pride in that we value employees, job applicants, students, volunteers, patients and visitors as people. This is reflected within our excel behaviours with a vision to create a workplace that represents a culture of kindness, joy and inclusion.