Job summary
- Main area
- Nursing / Optometry / Orthoptics
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job ref
- 100-NMR161-0525
- Employer
- Hywel Dda University Health Board
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Glangwili General Hospital
- Town
- Carmarthen
- Salary
- £46,840 - £53,602 per annum (pro rata if part time)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 15/06/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 23/06/2025
Employer heading

Medical Retina Specialist Practitioner
Band 7
Our Hywel Dda values reflect who we are and how we behave. We continuously work together to be the best we can be as we strive to develop and deliver excellent services, putting people at the heart of everything we do. Throughout our recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you would demonstrate these values in the way that you work with us.
If you are registered Health Care professional considering relocating to the Hywel Dda area in West Wales please don’t hesitate to contact our recruitment campaigns team directly via [email protected]
To keep up to date with our latest recruitment activity follow us on Facebook (Swyddi Hywel Dda Jobs), LinkedIn or on Twitter @SwyddiHDdaJobs
Hywel Dda University Health Board reserve the right to close vacancies after 24 hours if a large number of suitable applications are received. We encourage early applications to ensure consideration for a post.
Please be advised that there is a temporary top up for Bands 2 and 3 to reflect the incorporation of the top up to the living wage of £12.60 per hour - £24,638 per annum.
This temporary top up will be in place until the annual pay uplift for 2025/26 is confirmed.
Job overview
Are you a Medical Retina Specialist Practitioner and/or Intravitreal therapy injector looking for the next step in your career?
The Ophthalmology service at Hywel Dda has opened its first Band 7 Medical Retina Specialist Practitioner post aimed at Nurses, Optometrists or Orthoptists who already have some experience and interest in the field, to develop further and support the development of the service.
This role will involve some direct management elements, providing scope for development in that field as well. The successful applicant will also play a role in the development of regional services, helping to shape the excellent services we aspire to provide as a South West region in the future.
The successful candidate will be expected to travel across the Health Board on a regular basis to support the service where it is delivered.
Main duties of the job
For a comprehensive list of what the role entails, please review the attached job description. Please note these duties are an aspiration as to what the successful candidate will be doing as part of their role, not what they are already able to deliver at the point of the interview. Training will be supported as part of the job.
The role includes:
Use specialised motor skills in the assessment of ophthalmic conditions, including the use of slit-lamp to examine the anterior and posterior segments of the eye (e.g. fundoscopy, Goldmann applanation tonometry, gonioscopy). This will require a high degree of precision and hand-eye coordination in a timely manner in busy ophthalmology settings.
Use specialised motor skills to deliver treatments in the form of eye injections and injectable implants.
Use specialist knowledge to interpret a variety of macular scans, such as ocular coherence tomography scans, fluorescein angiograms, fundus auto-fluorescence, etc.
Identify patients in need of referral onto other specialty clinics when ocular co-morbidities are noted, e.g. glaucoma team, orthoptic team, vitreoretinal team, corneal team.
Act as an advocate for the patient providing support and advice to patients and family/carer.
Provide expert advice to colleagues, patients and carers as required, aiming to promote health and independence, and prevent disease.
Working for our organisation
Hywel Dda University Health Board is the planner and provider of NHS healthcare services for people in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and its bordering counties. Our 12,000 members of staff provide primary, community, in-hospital, mental health and learning disabilities services to almost 400,000 people across a quarter of the landmass of Wales. We do this in partnership with our three local authorities and public, private and third sector colleagues, including our volunteers, through:
Four main hospitals: Bronglais General in Aberystwyth, Glangwili General in Carmarthen, Prince Philip in Llanelli and Withybush General in Haverfordwest.
Five community hospitals: Amman Valley Hospital and Llandovery Hospital in Carmarthenshire, Tregaron Hospital in Ceredigion and Tenby and South Pembrokeshire Hospital Health and Social Care Resource Centre in Pembrokeshire.
Two integrated care centres (Aberaeron and Cardigan, Ceredigion).
Community facilities, including:
48 General Practices (GP surgeries), 49 Dental Practices, 98 Community Pharmacies (chemists), 44 General Ophthalmic Practices (including eye health and low vision services), 38 sites providing mental health and learning disability services, care within your own homes
Highly specialised and tertiary services commissioned by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee, a joint committee representing seven health boards across Wales.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Interviews will be held on 23/06/25
The Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing patient and service user experiences. In our commitment to increase the number of staff who are able to communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we welcome applications from Welsh speakers.
The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirements during the course of your employment with us.
Person specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential criteria
- Degree or equivalent in nursing, orthoptics or optometry.
- Current registration with relevant professional body (NMC, HCPC, or GOC, respectively).
- Post Graduate Certificate in Medical Retina or Advanced/Specialist Practitioner Portfolio
- Evidence of training to Master’s level.
- Knowledge of the research process
Desirable criteria
- Independent prescriber qualification
- Management qualification
- Teaching and assessing qualification or equivalent
- Supervisory qualification or experience
- Leadership experience/qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience working in a medical retina / intravitreal therapy clinic setting
- Ability to diagnose, assess and manage medical retina patients using highly specialised equipment.
- Ability to work autonomously
- Ability to deal with own highly complex caseload
- Ability to provide supervisory management.
- Experience of supervising junior staff
- Ability to conduct clinical audits.
Desirable criteria
- Able to perform fundoscopy independently
- Experience of participating in service development
- Evidence of participation in research
- Managerial experience
- Experience in extended roles, such as laser treatment provision
- Experience participating in recruitment and selection.
Language skills
Desirable criteria
- Welsh speaker (Level 1)
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Welsh language skills are desirable
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Marta Barreiro Martins
- Job title
- Senior Nurse Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07815022127
- Additional information
Informal discussions and visits are welcomed.
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