Advanced Specialist Orthoptist


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	£49,387 to £56,515 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Oxford, OX3 9DU
Job type:	Contract
Posting date:	24 Sept 2026
Closing date:	8 Oct 2026

Apply for this job

Summary

To provide comprehensive orthoptic assessment for all patients referred to the department from specialist services as in-patients or out-patients. To be responsible for the evaluation of visual acuity and visual behaviour in referrals from specialist services including neurology, endocrinology, Oncology and CFU services. This includes all infants and adults, patients with challenging behavior, functional visual loss, and learning disabilities. To offer expert opinion and diagnosis to ophthalmologists, neurologists, paediatricians and other health professionals regarding ocular motility disorders. To be responsible as an independent practitioner to advise and instruct patients and their parents/guardians on a continuous course of treatment, and review patients and treatment plans to achieve the best possible visual acuity, binocular vision, and ocular alignment for each patient. To use advanced knowledge and skills to assess patients suitability for botulinum toxin injection and adjustable suture surgery and provide information for patients and families regarding these treatments. To assess patients pre-operatively and suggest to the ophthalmologist the appropriate procedure, including multi-step procedures. To assess patients post-operatively and formulate highly specialized treatment plans. To use highly specialized skills to perform appropriate automated and manual perimetry in children if required and to use advanced knowledge to interpret the results from these examinations. To accurately assess spectacle prescriptions using automated and manual focimetry To perform tests quickly and with manual dexterity to ensure maximum accuracy and co-operation from young patients. To undertake and lead when required the teaching of orthoptic students, optometry students and other health care professionals visiting the department. To be required to adopt restricted working positions including bending, leaning over and some lifting and patient movement. To be required to work at times in unpleasant conditions including exposure to smells, bodily fluids, and transmittable diseases (e.g., head lice) To provide a duty of care considering the needs of each individual patient and to adapt to emotional, mental and physical responses which requires devotion of time and constant concentration whilst also coping with the demands of unplanned clinical workload and frequent interruption. Specialist Clinical Duties To be the first point of call for patients, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders within the field of adult motility and adult neuro-services or paediatric neuro services dependent on previous training and skill. To work in collaboration with the Lead Orthoptist. To provide comprehensive assessment and specialist management plans for patients on the neuro surgical wards. To support the Neuro-Ophthalmologists and paediatric ophthalmologists To be responsible as an independent practitioner to formulate treatment plans for all neuro-ophthalmology and adult motility patients. To collaborate with colleagues from both within and outside the ophthalmology department in research and clinical audit and present results from clinical audit at governance meetings. Disseminate the results of this research by appropriate means e.g., Publication in peer reviewed journals and presentation at national and international meetings. To work within an extended capacity supporting Glaucoma or medical retina services dependent on previous training and skill level. To provide peer support and information and teaching in the specialized field of ophthalmic aspects of neurological disorders. To provide expertise for the annual ocular motility teaching.

Apply for this job