Advanced Clinical Optometrist

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) is an integrated provider of acute hospital and community services for people living in Buckinghamshire and the surrounding area.

We care for over half a million patients every year:

• Provide specialist spinal services at our world renowned National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the birthplace of the Paralympics.
• Nationally recognised for urology and skin cancer services.
• Regional specialist centre for burns, plastic surgery, dermatology, stroke and cardiac services.
• Deliver community services in health centres, schools, patients' own homes, community hospitals and community hubs.

More than 6,500 people from different nations, cultures and backgrounds work for us.

We would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options. We strive to be a family friendly, inclusive employer.

If you require any assistance in making this application, please contact or phone .

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work - and invite you to join our BHT family.

Job overview We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Advanced Clinical Optometrist to join our team.

You will have the highest level of specialist clinical training, knowledge, skill and experience within Hospital Eye Service Optometry in order to routinely provide care in both Optometry and Ophthalmology.

The role demands the highest level of individual professional responsibility and efficiency within clinical optometry.

Post holders will wherever possible autonomously deliver a wide range of advanced, specialised, complex and non-routine work, with responsibility for patient examination and complex clinical decision making regarding ongoing management/treatment of a number of sight-threatening eye conditions.

Main duties of the job To deliver highly specialist clinical care for patients with sight-threatening eye disease and life-threatening conditions with ocular presentations across different ophthalmic sub-specialist clinics.

To make patient-centred judgements on management in the presence of uncertainty, for example where patients are unable to cooperate fully in clinical assessments, or where evidence on clinical management options is unclear or lacking.

To plan and deliver advanced specialist clinical examinations tailored to individual patient requirements. Examinations will be comprehensive & commensurate with clinical experience beyond Masters degree level, acting with guidance from national recommendations. Skills are commensurate with those of sub-specialist trained (medical) ophthalmology staff.

To personally deliver a wide range of highly specialised clinical services and provide expert opinion in an area of specialist expertise and advanced practice.

To be responsible for the clinical and policy development in relevant sub specialities within ophthalmology.

To be responsible for and participate in clinical audit, teaching and research.

What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you?

• As part of our BHT family, you'll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.
• We offer flexible and agile working opportunities, alongside your NHS benefits of generous annual leave entitlement, pension and access to NHS discount schemes.
• We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.

Why work for us?

• We're committed to promoting inclusion and making sure all colleagues feel they belong. We encourage new colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds to apply.
• As an employer, we aim to create a workplace where differences are valued and colleagues treat one another with dignity and respect.
• Greater diversity within our BHT family improves positive outcomes for the people and communities we serve.
• A keen supporter of the Armed Forces Community who know the value of employing a service leaver/veteran and their families.

What do we stand for?

• Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work.
• Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time.
• Our care values are collaborate, aspire, respect and enable.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities For a comprehensive list of responsibilities and duties, please kindly refer to the Job Description and Person Specification by downloading the JD and PS attachment in the advert.

If you are an internal applicant there is the option for secondment; all applicants must have the endorsement/support of their line manager prior to application.

If you have a disability that makes submitting this online application difficult and would like assistance, please contact us on quoting the vacancy reference number.

Person specification Qualifications

• BSc in Optometry.
• Masters level qualification/in progress or equivalent experience.
• Be an independent prescriber (or willing to work towards), depending on clinical sub-speciality.
• Registration with the General Optical Council.
• Certified speciality courses or equivalent self-directed learning and experience if no formal qualification available.

Experience

• Broad expert clinical experience relevant to the post, including specialist skills and experience in a speciality.
• Experience of running own clinics.
• Minimum of five years' post-registration experience including work at band 7 or above.
• Proven track record of significant broad based post-registration experience relevant to the post, including specialist skills and experience in speciality.
• Proven track record of clinical senior management at a senior level in an acute hospital environment including staff/financial and change management.
• Patient diagnosis based on autonomously performed structured clinical history and appropriate clinical examinations; ordering/performing/interpreting (as appropriate) investigations; prescription of appropriate treatment if applicable; supported by a high standard of documentation.
• Robust evidence of own continuing personal and professional development.
• BHT statutory and mandatory training up to date (or equivalent if applying from out-with BHT).
• Ability to demonstrate excellent theoretical and clinical knowledge and skills applicable to this area of practice.
• Work as an autonomous practitioner using own initiative, and work as a team member.
• Experience of teaching patients, staff and others.
• Be able to work across specific, similar clinical areas supported by clinical knowledge and expertise.
• Proven record of teaching at various levels from basic to advanced.
• Performance of Annual and intermediate Performance Review for junior colleagues.

Skills

• Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of a speciality with a wide range of approaches to the management of patients, demonstrated by advanced clinical reasoning and be able to comprehensively assess patients for risk factors and early signs of illness or deterioration.
• Ability to lead a multi-disciplinary team; within the organisation and across organisational boundaries.
• To be able to identify and implement systems to promote their contribution and demonstrate the impact of the role to the health care team and the wider health and social care sector.
• Ability to draw on a diverse range of knowledge in their decision making to determine evidence based therapeutic interventions (which usually involve prescribing medication and actively monitoring the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills demonstrating the use of a variety of IT/media skills.
• Evidence of managing clinical services, service innovation and up to date knowledge of clinical policy plus successful change management experience and track record of launching new initiatives.
• Ability to manage change and conflict resolution with positive outcomes by way of negotiation.
• Ability to translate and integrate evidence based research/guidelines into the development of local care pathways.
• Ability to develop relationships locally, regionally and nationally.
• Demonstrate strong leadership skills in sometimes unfamiliar/complex/unpredictable situations. Provide consultancy services to their own and other professions on therapeutic interventions, practice and service development.
• Strong communications skills demonstrated through delivery of presentations and producing articles.
• Ability to critically appraise and synthesis the outcomes of relevant research evaluations and audits.

PPE requirements: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust requires all colleagues to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with our infection prevention and control procedures.

COVID-19 and Flu vaccinations remain the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues, and of course our patients from the viruses when working in our healthcare settings. We encourage our staff to be vaccinated when recommended.

If you are successful at interview, we will require you to complete a Covid-19 risk assessment document.

Application deadline: This post will close on the closing date stated at midnight. If we receive a large number of applications or there is a change in circumstance, we may be required to close a job before the closing date.

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