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Job summary

Main area
Ophthalmology
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
409-7426726
Employer
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
St Helens Hospital
Town
ST Helens
Salary
£47,810 - £54,710 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
14/09/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust logo

Ophthalmology Clinic Manager/Team Leader

NHS AfC: Band 7

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to "name of trust" transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Job overview

To work as the lead Ophthalmic nurse within Mersey and West Lancashire teaching hospital NHS Trust Ophthalmic outpatient Team.

 Providing specialist evidence based ophthalmic care advice for Ophthalmology patients, with a wide range of ophthalmic conditions.

Act as a resource for patients, nursing and medical colleagues and other health workers by offering specialist ophthalmic nursing advice/support as needed to ensure favourable patient outcomes.


Line manager to the Ophthalmic nursing outpatients staff- providing full line management duties including rota allocation of staff, full HR function (i.e.- appraisal, attendance management, recruitment and selection, mandatory training compliance, competency and disciplinary procedures as required)

Main duties of the job

Perform specialist clinical skills in assessment &/or diagnosis &/or treatment including IVT and blepharospasm treatments.


Perform comprehensive assessment of patient nursing needs, plan, implement and evaluate care delivery according to changing health care needs and varying levels of complexity.


Participate in nurse led clinics within the care setting for ophthalmology
 Provide information and support following diagnosis by an ophthalmologist. This maybe of a long-term condition eg glaucoma.


Provide support and knowledge to enable patient and family to understand importance of treatment and how to manage ophthalmic conditions effectively.


Support patients following the delivery of bad news, providing information to improve understanding as needed and where to access advice and help.


To be empathetic and reassuring to those patients who are registered severely or partially sight impaired providing information on how to obtain ongoing support and advice. To extend that support for patients who have been informed they can no longer drive.
Work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies to ensure patient needs are met.


Provide cover for the ophthalmic nursing team and work autonomously when required, ensuring a seamless service.


Provide a nurse-led ophthalmic triage service to our local community. Liaising with GP’s A&E, opticians and walk-in-centres. Assessment and prioritising of complex, acute Ocular conditions.

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

  • Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
  • Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
  • National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please ensure you have read through the attached Job Description and Person Specification before submitting your application. 

Advertising date: 8th September 2025

Closing date: 14th September 2025

Shortlisting date: 16th September 2025

Proposed Interview date: 23rd September 2025

Please note, this post may close earlier than advertised if a sufficient number of applications are received. 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Professional Registration in a relevant specialty RGN
  • Diploma or degree in Health related subject or actively working towards same
Desirable criteria
  • Management qualification

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Extensive experience of ophthalmic nursing practices to be a point of reference and knowledge source for all departmental staff
  • Provide a nurse-led ophthalmic triage service to our local community. Liaising with GP’s A&E, opticians and walk-in-centre’s. Assessment and prioritising of complex, acute Ocular conditions
  • Experience of both medical and surgical conditions Both Inpatient & Outpatient
  • Research awareness and a commitment to evidence-based practice

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Up to date clinical skills in order to ensure quality of services being provided: IVT injection/oculoplastic skills/Sac washout/ biometry
  • Ability to demonstrate effective leadership skills
  • Able to prioritise effectively
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Effective team leader and change agent
  • Able to take responsibility for and identified area of clinical practice
  • Ability to work independently & as a team member
  • Able to work flexibly as part of a team
  • Manage patient and relative complaints

Other

Essential criteria
  • Ability to carry out nursing procedures relating to area of work. Tasks requiring fine dexterity and binocular vision eg. Sac Washout/removal of lid sutures
  • Role involves sitting, standing, walking
  • Involves periods of concentration whilst undertaking administrative tasks and providing leadership of a busy outpatient service for two specialities across site

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Nursing TimesApprenticeships logoDisability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardNavajo - Merseyside and CheshireCare quality commission - OutstandingDying to Work CharterStep into healthHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingNHS Rainbow Badge - BronzeDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - GoldPeople Promise

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.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Sheeba Putheen
Job title
Lead Nurse
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01744646137
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