Orthoptist

To take sole responsibility for the Orthoptic assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients referred from outside agencies and to manage, using individual treatment plans, visual loss and visual symptoms. This group of patients includes children with significant sight defects and requires a considerable degree of empathy and family support. In adults the diagnosis of acute onset ocular motility defects require a significantly high level of anatomical and neurological knowledge when there may be the need to make a differential diagnosis between clinical conditions. To formulate individualised management and treatment programmes using clinical reasoning, evidence based practice, and a wide range of treatment skills.

Communicating effectively with patients, parents and carers those plans and to assess capacity and gain informed consent to those treatment plans. To take sole responsibility to formulate relevant discharge plans and onward referral. This patient group includes patients suffering from strabismus, amblyopia (reduced vision with no apparent pathological cause), complex congenital and acquired conditions including cranial nerve palsy (neurological and systemic in origin), ocular trauma and genetic ocular disorders and associated ocular abnormalities. To assess, diagnose and treat patients with special needs.

This group of patients can often include assessment of non-seeing babies and specialist communication skills are needed in conveying this information to parents and guardians. To be responsible as an autonomous practitioner for the evaluation of visual acuity and visual behaviour in referrals from specialist services. This includes infants with strabismus (squint) and amblyopia, congenital or developmental abnormalities, genetic referral, adult illiterates, children and adults with significant learning difficulties as well as acute ocular motility defects in both children and adults. To assess eye movement disorders in patients from specialist clinics including Neurology, Maxillo-facial, Endocrinology and Accident and Emergency.

Where clinical signs and symptoms do not always fall into particular categories or where information is limited or unavailable the Orthoptist will be expected to determine the diagnosis, prognosis and management. To be competent in the analysis of complex facts in order to reach an accurate diagnosis and to determine the most appropriate treatment modality from a range of treatment options, including patients requiring orthoptic, optical, pharmacological and surgical management and to have the ability to discuss the pros and cons of procedures and their potential outcomes and to develop specialised programmes of care. Perform Goldmann and Bjerrum visual fields and Driving fields and interpret results for medical personnel where appropriate. To act as an autonomous practitioner with the sole responsibility to assess visual fields requested out with the Ophthalmology department i.e.

Neurology and Endocrinology. To provide highly developed hand eye co-ordination to facilitate a high level of accuracy with all Orthoptic and Orthoptically related Ophthalmic equipment. Please see the attached job description for full details.