Divisional Lead Optometrist – North East

Job Overview

Principal Optometrist – North East sites (Stratford, St Ann’s and City Road clinics). Deliver highly specialist clinical care and lead clinical management. Requires prior hospital experience and relevant higher qualifications from the College of Optometrists.

Main Duties of the Job

• Lead optometrist in the North East division, working within specialist clinics.
• Coordinate with community optometry links in the North East division.
• Develop the role of optometrists in partnership with Consultant Ophthalmologists, Service Leads, and divisional directors.
• Represent the hospital and the optometric profession in teaching and management of conditions, developing UK-wide eye‑care models.
• Overall responsibility for clinical care and supervision of patients seen in clinics.
• Undertake highly specialist clinical activity with extensive knowledge, including a high proportion of tertiary referrals.
• Supervise all patient examinations carried out by support, resident, placement, or new-to-clinic optometrists until they meet competency requirements.
• Provide expert opinion to optometric and non‑optometric colleagues on complex case management.
• Organise clinical sessions, review records, determine necessary additional tests, and utilise staff groups efficiently.

Location

Posts based at Stratford, St Ann’s and City Road Clinic sites.

Benefits

• Opportunity to join the NHS Pension Scheme
• Free 24/7 independent counselling service
• Learning and development opportunities
• Easy and quick transport links
• Range of attractive benefits and discounts including Blue Light Card and other NHS Discount Schemes
• Free Pilates classes
• Full support and training to develop skills
• Flexible working – friendly organisation

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Essential: BSc (Hons) Optometry, Specialist College of Optometrist Professional Certificate qualifications, Registration with the General Optical Council.
• Desirable: Specialist College of Optometrist Higher qualifications, Diploma in Independent Prescribing, MSc/PhD in Optometry/Ophthalmology.

Experience

• Essential: Post‑qualification hospital experience >5 years, hospital extended role experience >3 years, experience with vulnerable patient groups, clinical teaching, supervision of junior staff, audit, line management and appraisal, research methods.
• Desirable: Extended role experience, line management and appraisal experience, research experience, quality and safety issue management, undergraduate/postgraduate teaching, national/international conference presentations, protocol and SOP writing.

Skills

• Essential: Competent use of slit‑lamp, retinoscopy, ocular imaging interpretation (OCT, visual fields, topography), electronic patient record systems, excellent written and verbal communication.
• Desirable: Detailed clinical summary writing, advanced planning and organisational skills, sensitive staff and patient management, effective communication of complex information, service improvement identification and innovation.

Eligibility and EEO Statement

Employment requires proof of eligibility to work in the UK, satisfactory DBS disclosure, and two references. No visa sponsorship is offered unless explicitly stated. Moorfields is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and encourages applications from under‑represented candidates including BAME and Disabled individuals.

#J-18808-Ljbffr…