Job overview

The Orthoptic service based at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre is looking for an enthusiastic and friendly individual who has or is keen to gain experience working directly with the general public. You will be joining a team of 13 Orthoptists, 9 Ophthalmic technicians.

You will be working alongside one other Co-ordinator/Administrator to support the clinical team.

The roles that you will undertake are essential to the overall functioning of the service. These include booking a wide range of appointments for the Orthoptic and Medical teams. Responding effectively and efficiently to telephone and email enquiries and regular interaction with patients and carers arriving and departing clinical assessments.

Main duties of the job

Working closely with the other clinic co-ordinator/Administrator to review waiting lists for patients referred to the Orthoptic, Paediatric and Neuro-ophthalmology services requiring first or follow up appointments.

Arranging appointments in line with the clinical need as stipulated on the waiting list entry by each clinician. You will liaise closely with the Head Orthoptist to supply up to date information on waiting times, highlighting issues such as insufficient capacity to support demand. 

The post holder will be required to respond to patients, carers and other health care staff by email, telephone and face to face in order to provide effective and efficient care. A significant part of the role will be reception desk duties that will involve direct face to interaction with patients, carers and other healthcare staff. 

One to one support and tuition will be provided to the newly appointed co-ordinator/Administrator to assist you in learning all aspects of the role.

Working for our organisation

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWB) serves Birmingham and the Black Country – one of the country’s most culturally diverse areas. It’s a friendly and welcoming place – a place where you can belong, and a place where you can grow.

We care for our patients, we care about our population, and we care about our people.

Our values – Ambition, Respect and Compassion – are at the heart of who we are. They guide us every step of the way; how we work with each other, and how we look after our patients and their families; how we respect and value the rich diversity of our team and our community.

Our Trust has always aspired to be more than a hospital, more than a healthcare provider. Our purpose is to “Improve the Life Chances and Health Outcomes of our Population.” It is what inspires, drives, and unites us every day. It’s what makes us unique.

We want working at SWB to feel like more than just a job. We want our Trust to be a place where you can feel you belong. A place where you feel happy, safe, and rewarded. A place where you can develop your career in whatever way you choose. When we say we’re ‘with you all the way’ we want you to know that we mean it. Visit the SWB website to find out more about our ambitions and people plans.

Multi-site working 

The four partner Trusts of the Black Country Provider Collaborative (Dudley Group NHS FT, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust) are actively working in partnership to deliver a collective vision focused on providing "better, faster and safer care to the population of the Black Country and beyond". 

To support this vision, we are (where appropriate and safe to do so) actively looking at new models of care which:

Against this context, although this post is hosted by Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, there may be an expectation to work flexibly across the four partner Trusts to better meet patient and service needs.