Job overview

The Royal Eye Infirmary is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Consultant Ophthalmologist with a subspecialty interest in Glaucoma to join its expanding medical and surgical ophthalmology team.

The postholder will provide expert glaucoma care, lead service development, support multidisciplinary pathways, and contribute to training, research & governance.

The Glaucoma service is set up as multidisciplinary clinics with Ophthalmologists, Optometrist, ACP’s and Imaging support.  The REI is served by sixteen Consultants and an increasing number of supporting medical and ancillary staff.  There are five Associate/Specialty doctors supporting general clinics, urgent care and subspeciality clinics.

There is a scheduled teaching programme for junior staff consisting of one-half day weekly, including regular subregional and regional Southwestern Ophthalmological Society meetings. Continuous medical education at all levels is encouraged, and there is an active multidisciplinary Clinical Governance programme. Mentoring support for newly appointed Consultants is available at departmental and Trust level. 

The REI has strong connections with the Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, providing regular teaching and research opportunities. In addition, the Trust Research and Development Department offers opportunities to support the set-up of research projects, providing access to national and international studies. 

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be expected to provide comprehensive glaucoma assessment, diagnosis, and management, including complex and tertiary-level cases and to deliver a full range of surgical treatments such as:

·         Trabeculectomy

·         Shunt surgery

·         Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)

·         Laser procedures (SLT, YAG PI, cyclodiode)

The post holder will lead consultant-led glaucoma clinics and contribute to shared-care pathways with optometrists and specialist nurses. Participate in multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings and case discussions. Provide on-call ophthalmology cover as per departmental rota. Service development will include supporting the service line director and Glaucoma lead in shaping and expanding the glaucoma service, developing and implementing evidence-cased patient care pathways and protocols, contribute to outpatient optimisation, surgical efficiency and community integration. Champion diagnostic, virtual review models and advancing imaging.

We believe in supporting the growth of the future workforce and therefore the post-holder will partake in teaching and training of Allied health professionals, Medical trainees and Fellows. Access to mentoring for newly appointed consultants is encouraged.

Working for our organisation

We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.