Orthoptist

Job description

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has become available with a vacancy within our orthoptic team. We are a friendly team looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated Orthoptist to join us from October 2026. This is a fixed term, part-time (0.60 WTE) maternity leave cover post. You will be based at Whipps Cross Hospital and have an interesting mix of paediatric and adult hospital and community clinic & special schools with training opportunities within extended roles.The post-holder will work as part of the multi-disciplinary Orthoptic and Ophthalmology teams that provide comprehensive and quality Orthoptic services for the Trust.The Orthoptic department is a highly specialised department that provides comprehensive, quality and specialised Orthoptic services to the Trust as part of a multi-disciplinary Ophthalmology Team.You will participate in the educational activities run by and for the Orthoptic Departments. This includes the teaching of other health care professionals, medical undergraduates and junior doctors.There are significant opportunities to develop within the role gaining experience in extended roles and being involved in audit and research.We are a support team and understand the importance of staff well-being, flexibility and good team engagement to make a great experience for you joining our department and Trust

Main duties of the job

? Provide a high quality orthoptic service as an autonomous practitioner, delivering both preventative and therapeutic care in line with the professional standards of the British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS).

? Apply clinical expertise, sound clinical reasoning, and experience to independently assess, diagnose, and manage patients referred to the Orthoptic service, working collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary ophthalmology and AHP team.

? Contribute actively to the education and development of others by teaching and supporting a wide range of healthcare professionals, including undergraduate orthoptic students, pre registration optometrists, health visitors, school nurses, GPs, junior doctors, and medical students.

About us

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.

Job description
Job responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of clinical experience delivering orthoptic assessment, diagnosis, and management across paediatric and adult patients, including through pre-registration clinical placements, performing duties comparable to those described in the job description.
• Experience working as part of uni-professional and multidisciplinary teams to deliver coordinated patient care
• Experience providing advice, support, or training to students, support workers, or colleagues
• Experience maintaining accurate clinical records using paper or electronic patient record systems.
• Experience working with children and/or vulnerable adults, with an understanding of safeguarding responsibilities

Desirable

• Post-registration experience in a specialist area such as paediatrics, stroke, neuro-ophthalmology, community services, or special schools
• Membership of a relevant specialist interest group
• Experience contributing to audit, service evaluation, or quality improvement activity
• Experience using Cerner Millennium, MediSIGHT, or equivalent electronic patient record systems.
• Experience supporting student placements or delivering clinical teaching.

Skills

Essential

• Clinical assessment and diagnostic skills across the range of orthoptic practice, including paediatric and adult ocular motility disorders.
• Ability to analyse and prioritise clinical information to develop safe and appropriate care plans.
• Ability to communicate clinical information clearly to a range of audiences, adapting communication for children, carers, and patients with additional needs.
• Ability to deliver sensitive or distressing information with professionalism, empathy, and clarity.
• Ability to work autonomously, making clinical decisions within professional guidelines and escalating appropriately
• Ability to perform the manual clinical techniques of orthoptic practice, including motility measurement, manual perimetry, focimetry, and instillation of diagnostic drops.
• Ability to organise and prioritise a clinical workload, demonstrating effective time management
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and manage frequent interruptions.
• Ability to maintain accurate, high-quality clinical documentation, demonstrating attention to detail and accuracy
• Commitment to inclusive, non-discriminatory, patient-centred practice

Desirable

• Confident presentation skills, including delivering teaching sessions or case presentations
• Ability to support the development of students or support workers through mentoring or supervision.
• Experience contributing to service development or pathway improvement.

Knowledge

Essential

• Developed knowledge of current best practice in orthoptics across paediatric and adult care.
• Understanding of the legal responsibilities, professional code of conduct, and ethical framework relevant to orthoptic practice
• Understanding of clinical governance, including audit, risk management, and evidence-based practice
• Knowledge of MS Office applications and confidence using electronic patient record systems.
• Understanding of safeguarding principles relating to children and vulnerable adults.
• Commitment to ongoing CPD and maintaining HCPC standards

Desirable

• Knowledge of MediSIGHT, Cerner Millennium, or equivalent ophthalmic EPR or PAS systems
• Knowledge of national paediatric, stroke, or community eye care guidelines.

Qualifications

Essential

• Bachelor of Science in Orthoptics (BSc Orthoptics, BMedSci Orthoptics) or Diploma in British Orthoptics (DBO).
• Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Evidence of ongoing CPD in accordance with HCPC requirements.

Desirable

• Member of the British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS)
• Postgraduate training or short courses relevant to paediatrics, stroke, or neuro-ophthalmology

Other

Essential

• Able to travel between hospital and community sites as required.
• Physically able to perform the duties of the post, with reasonable adjustments where necessary.
• Flexible, dependable, and adaptable approach to work, including working across multiple locations.

Person Specification
Experience

Essential

• Evidence of clinical experience delivering orthoptic assessment, diagnosis, and management across paediatric and adult patients, including through pre-registration clinical placements, performing duties comparable to those described in the job description.
• Experience working as part of uni-professional and multidisciplinary teams to deliver coordinated patient care
• Experience providing advice, support, or training to students, support workers, or colleagues
• Experience maintaining accurate clinical records using paper or electronic patient record systems.
• Experience working with children and/or vulnerable adults, with an understanding of safeguarding responsibilities

Desirable

• Post-registration experience in a specialist area such as paediatrics, stroke, neuro-ophthalmology, community services, or special schools
• Membership of a relevant specialist interest group
• Experience contributing to audit, service evaluation, or quality improvement activity
• Experience using Cerner Millennium, MediSIGHT, or equivalent electronic patient record systems.
• Experience supporting student placements or delivering clinical teaching.

Skills

Essential

• Clinical assessment and diagnostic skills across the range of orthoptic practice, including paediatric and adult ocular motility disorders.
• Ability to analyse and prioritise clinical information to develop safe and appropriate care plans.
• Ability to communicate clinical information clearly to a range of audiences, adapting communication for children, carers, and patients with additional needs.
• Ability to deliver sensitive or distressing information with professionalism, empathy, and clarity.
• Ability to work autonomously, making clinical decisions within professional guidelines and escalating appropriately
• Ability to perform the manual clinical techniques of orthoptic practice, including motility measurement, manual perimetry, focimetry, and instillation of diagnostic drops.
• Ability to organise and prioritise a clinical workload, demonstrating effective time management
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and manage frequent interruptions.
• Ability to maintain accurate, high-quality clinical documentation, demonstrating attention to detail and accuracy
• Commitment to inclusive, non-discriminatory, patient-centred practice

Desirable

• Confident presentation skills, including delivering teaching sessions or case presentations
• Ability to support the development of students or support workers through mentoring or supervision.
• Experience contributing to service development or pathway improvement.

Knowledge

Essential

• Developed knowledge of current best practice in orthoptics across paediatric and adult care.
• Understanding of the legal responsibilities, professional code of conduct, and ethical framework relevant to orthoptic practice
• Understanding of clinical governance, including audit, risk management, and evidence-based practice
• Knowledge of MS Office applications and confidence using electronic patient record systems.
• Understanding of safeguarding principles relating to children and vulnerable adults.
• Commitment to ongoing CPD and maintaining HCPC standards

Desirable

• Knowledge of MediSIGHT, Cerner Millennium, or equivalent ophthalmic EPR or PAS systems
• Knowledge of national paediatric, stroke, or community eye care guidelines.

Qualifications

Essential

• Bachelor of Science in Orthoptics (BSc Orthoptics, BMedSci Orthoptics) or Diploma in British Orthoptics (DBO).
• Current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Evidence of ongoing CPD in accordance with HCPC requirements.

Desirable

• Member of the British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS)
• Postgraduate training or short courses relevant to paediatrics, stroke, or neuro-ophthalmology

Other

Essential

• Able to travel between hospital and community sites as required.
• Physically able to perform the duties of the post, with reasonable adjustments where necessary.
• Flexible, dependable, and adaptable approach to work, including working across multiple locations.

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 .

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. .
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Additional information
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 .

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. .
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Employer details

Employer name

Barts Health NHS Trust
Address

Whipps Cross University Hospital

Whipps Cross Road

London

E11 1NR

United Kingdom

Employer's website