Job vacancy: Head Orthoptist, Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust, Northampton (2024)

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated Band 8b Head Orthoptist, to lead our friendly and dynamic team based at Northampton General Hospital but covering a district wide service. This is a permanent role for 37.5 hours per week.

You must be able to work well in a highly pressured environment, delivering all aspects of Orthoptic clinical care, as well as having the ability to lead the team. The successful candidate will be responsible for the Orthoptic service including all clerical support, glaucoma monitoring unit and low visual aid service. There will be significant clinical involvement as well as management duties.

The successful candidate will join our fantastic team of 4 Orthoptists, 10 Ophthalmologists and 5 Ophthalmic Technicians and a low visual aid practitioner.

The successful applicant must hold a degree or diploma in Orthoptics and must be registered with the HCPC.

The department provides regular teaching for other health care professionals and so a teaching qualification is desirable.

Main duties of the job

To lead and be accountable for the Orthoptic, Low Visual Aid and Glaucoma Monitoring services provided by Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust at any location and to manage those clinical and other resources in accordance with the Directorate and Departmental Business Plan. A key function of the post will be to organise the service in line with new developments. This is also a clinical post and the post-holder is expected to spend a proportion of time in clinical work, as an autonomous practitioner.

Working for our organisation

Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All of our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.

Our Excellence Values

Compassion

Accountability

Respect

Integrity

Courage

We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone’s full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities.

We are a Defence positive trust, supporting our reservists, veterans, spouses and partners.

The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals.

We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.

We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds.This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Principle Responsibilities:

· To manage the delivery of the Orthoptic and allied services

· Provide line management responsibility for Orthoptists, Ophthalmic technicians, LVA Technician and administration staff

· To be responsible for providing support and advice, overseeing performance of staff with autonomy (in terms of managing sickness, absence, recruitment, day to day running of the service) to maintain an efficient and dedicated service.

· Support in the delivery of national targets

· Liaise with the Directorate Manager with reference to strategic and operational requirements for all relevant patient pathways

· To be responsible for the leading and developing of the Trust’s expert Orthoptic and allied service which requires knowledge and interpretation of professional guidelines. This involves assessment, diagnosis, treatment, planning and re-evaluation of patients attending, both as in-patients and out-patients, at local hospitals and external units where service is provided

· To oversee new referrals to the Orthoptic clinic

· To determine the possible diagnosis, prognosis and management where clinical signs and symptoms do not always fall into particular categories and/or where information is limited/unavailable

· To be responsible, as an autonomous practitioner, for the decision to instil drops for refraction tests diagnostic and treatment purposes. To decide the appropriate strength of drops required and to advise patients of the side effects

· To undertake pre and post-operative measurements of motility defects. Significant manual dexterity and speed will be required, especially in infants, to ensure accurate results of eye surgery. Surgery will be based on the orthoptic measurements

· To discuss surgical options with the surgeon

· To identify surgical risks (pre, peri and post-surgery) and to discuss these with the patients (parents/carers) and surgeon

· To take the lead on the decision and timing of surgery. This requires an up to date knowledge of evidence based practice

· To assess patients post-operative outcome and modify treatment accordingly

· To assist the surgeon with adjustable suture strabismus surgery. This requires accurate measurements to assist the surgeon with ocular alignment while the patient is under local anaesthesia

· To provide a service enabling each patient to obtain the best visual function including; visual acuity, binocular vision, ocular movements, ocular cosmetic appearance and visual fields assessments as appropriate

· To lead and show expertise in all areas of Orthoptics

Management:

· To communicate and advise the Directorate Manager/Clinical Lead on matters relating to service delivery, planned service developments etc.

· Support the Directorate Manager to manage Directorate projects, service strategy and IBP and CIP opportunities

· To attend and actively participate in appropriate departmental and Trust meetings

· To negotiate with outside agencies regarding service provision

· To plan and provide a service for the department within the terms of any contract/service level agreement

· Budget holder for optical services, to manage resources effectively and analyse the needs of the service and maximise potential for income generation within the service

· To investigate and resolve complaints arising from the Orthoptic or allied services

· To address queries from staff regarding clinics, work schedules and other associated matters regarding capacity and performance

· To ensure all appraisals of staff are up to date and take place in a timely manner

· To ensure all mandatory and role specific training for staff is up to date and to maintain up to date records

· Responsible for staff development and training including the setting of individual departmental targets for efficient ways of working. To take action to rectify deficiencies as and when appropriate, following HR Trust Policies

· To conduct regular 1:1’s and staff meetings

· To lead regular continuing professional development (CPD) meetings including journal clubs and refresher sessions

· To ensure that all staff are aware of their responsibility to practice according to the British and Irish Orthoptic Society’s code of professional conduct

· To organise the deployment of staff between Northampton General Hospital and Danetre Hospital to ensure the best utilisation of resources

· To develop and regularly review departmental policies, protocols and clinical guidelines and implement changes

· To develop clinical audit processes within the department for the Trust

· To participate in clinical audits

· Work with the Directorate Manager with regards to resolving capacity issues

· To be responsible for managing the recruitment and selection process for new staff within the team and to be pro-active in developing strategies to retain staff in line with performance issues

· To provide managerial leadership, managing sickness and absence, maintaining appraisal schedules and leading performance management issues within the teams

· To ensure excellent communication channels are maintained with all disciplines/departments both internal and external to the organisation, including staff, consultants, patients and visitors to the Trust.

· To challenge current ways of working within the 18 week pathway. Evaluate and modernise pathways to ensure the smooth transition of patients between departments.

· To be able to interpret and analyse data using the Trust’s computerised systems

· To monitor the service’s performance on activity, workforce, finance and quality, and to take the required action to facilitate improvements when necessary

Education and Training:

· Provide long-term succession planning through ongoing training of staff

· To develop and maintain a stimulating learning environment for staff

· To facilitate training programmes for staff in order to develop levels of competency for the workforce e.g. induction training

· To facilitate high quality and co-ordinated teaching within the department and to other professionals/organisations, as required

· To provide in-service training for Orthoptic staff when required and contribute towards training programmes initiated within the Trust

· To take an active part in clinical placements in the department including, Optometry students, Medical students, GP’s, Health Visitors, School Nurses, Community Medical Officers and Ophthalmology medical staff

· To facilitate the teaching and Orthoptic training of post graduate medical staff in preparation for the Royal College of Ophthalmology examinations

· To develop co-ordinate and facilitate clinical research programmes in collaboration with other medical and research staff, at the hospital, and in the Orthoptic department

· To maintain and extend existing knowledge based for continuing self-development

· To attend appropriate training events, courses and lectures thereby maintaining up to date knowledge and clinical skills

· To comply with hospital and departmental policies in order to provide safe and effective working and patient environment for staff and patients

General Tasks:

· The post holder will be expected to use computer systems where appropriate, including email system, the internet and intranet and other office systems in accordance with Trust Policies

· The post holder will be expected to have excellent communication skills and communicate with all levels of staff, patients and parents of patients, outside agencies and members of the public in a professional and effective manner.

· To ensure Trust wide standards are maintained to improve the quality of total care to all who come into contact with services undertaken by NGH

· To be responsible for maintaining high data quality standards by ensuring that the data entered onto Trust systems is accurate, complete and up to date

The post-holder may be required to carry out other relevant duties as required

To apply for this post, scroll down to the bottom of this page and select “apply online now”.

In submitting an application form, you authorise Northampton General Hospital to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Electronic Staff Record Inter Authority Transfer process should you be appointed to the post.

• JD for Band 8b Head Orthoptist (PDF, 424.6KB)
• Staff Fair Processing Statement (PDF, 90.4KB)
• Respect and Support Document (PDF, 207.1KB)
• Code of Conduct (PDF, 235.2KB)
• Code of Conduct - Band 7+ (PDF, 140.0KB)
• Benefits and NGH (PDF, 379.3KB)
• Useful Links (PDF, 185.9KB)
• Relocation Expenses Policy (PDF, 548.0KB)

Name

Julie Wilson

Job title

Directorate Manager

Email address

[emailprotected]

Telephone number

01604 545710