Orthoptist

Blackpool Orthoptic Department is looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic Orthoptist to join the Orthoptic team/ Hospital Eye Service at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, based at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

This position would be suitable for a newly qualified Orthoptist looking for experience in many areas of Orthoptics in the Hospital setting, community and schools.

You will assist in the provision of a high quality and comprehensive, Orthoptic service in the ophthalmology department. You will become part of a friendly, well organised, and motivated team consisting of 10 Orthoptists, 2 optometrists and 4 Ophthalmic Technicians.

The trust employs 8 Consultant Ophthalmologists, including one Consultant specialising in Paediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Ocular Motility.

You will need to be a good communicator with excellent people skills. You will encounter patients of all ages with a variety of problems and abilities.

**Hours**: 37.5 per week

To provide high quality, comprehensive and highly specialised orthoptic services for the Trust within the Ophthalmology directorate and provide the service/support to other directorates as requested.

Undertake specific roles agreed with the Head Orthoptist.

To be involved in managing own clinic workload and support other staff within the department.

To assess, diagnose and manage all cases of ocular motility defects and provide specialist advice to consultants and other health professionals.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is ideally situated just a forty five minute drive from Manchester. The Trust provides services to the 440,000 residents of Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre and North Lancashire, as well as specialist tertiary care for Cardiac and Haematology patients.

As one of the United Kingdom’s largest coastal resort, Blackpool has plenty to offer its residents - it’s not just a good place to work; it’s a great place to live. In addition to its bustling centre and historic seafront, the town is world famous for its many attractions, including the famous Blackpool Tower. Blackpool also offers a number of scenic cycling routes round our local parks and across the surrounding countryside, as well as boasting panoramic views of the coast on its picturesque Promenade. Further afield, Blackpool also benefits from less than three-hour connections via rail to Edinburgh in the north and London in the south.

**Clinical**:
To manage own Orthoptic case load being independently responsible for assessing, planning, and monitoring treatment in a wide range of complex conditions, using evidence-based practice.
To provide the orthoptic service as part of a multi-disciplinary team with consultants, optometrists, health visitors and other health professionals. To provide expertise for clinical colleagues from other specialities, such as, maxillo-facial, accident and emergency, neurology, and endocrinology. Use a high level of anatomical and neurological knowledge to formulate accurate diagnoses, prognoses, and multidisciplinary discharge plans as necessary.
To perform a comprehensive range of relevant investigative and diagnostic orthoptic procedures including taking a detailed and complete history.
To produce individualised treatment plans as an autonomous practitioner using advanced clinical reasoning and clinical experience of a wide range of treatment, for patients of all ages, whether inpatients or outpatients.
Communicate effectively using a broad range of verbal and non-verbal communication mechanisms to overcome barriers of understanding with patients, parents, and carers to gain informed consent, and to assess if treatment e.g., amblyopia intervention, is being understood and adhered to.
To motivate patients to ensure continued treatment compliance, to modify treatment plans when necessary to achieve the best clinical outcome.
To take the lead in arranging for individual patients to discuss the decision and timing of surgery.

To undertake pre-operative and post-operative measurements of motility defects and to discuss surgical options and treatment plans with the surgeon. Analyse and discuss post-operative risks with patients, parent/carer, and surgeon. Modify treatment plans post-operatively if required.
To assist the surgeon in post-operative adjustable sutures.
To have high levels of manual dexterity, speed, and concentration to ensure accurate orthoptic examination results, especially in infants who will be having eye surgery. To have good hand-eye co-ordination and be proficient when using Orthoptic/ophthalmic equipment.
Accurately assess patients’ glasses prescriptions using manual and automated focimeters.
To perform Visual Field tests on the Humphrey Visual Field Analyser and interpret the results when required to do so.
To be responsible as an autonomous practitioner for the decision to instil eye drops under patient group directions, for refraction test and diagnostic purposes, and to give advice of side e