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Job summary

Main area
Orthoptics
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
  • Job share
37.5 hours per week (Possible Thursday evenings)
Job ref
409-7428027
Employer
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
St Helens Hospital
Town
St Helens
Salary
£38,682 - £46,580 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
28/10/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust logo

Orthoptist

NHS AfC: Band 6

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

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our friendly team of x9 Orthoptists, x4 Optometrists and x9 Consultant Ophthalmologists at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching hospitals.

The successful post-holder will be required to undertake stand alone Orthoptic clinics, joint refraction clinics and joint adult motility/paediatric sessions working closely with the Ophthalmologists at St Helens Hospital and community sites across St Helens and Knowsley.

We are seeking an enthusiastic, dynamic and highly motivated Orthoptist, ideally (where possible) with an interest in specific learning difficulties to support the demands of the ever-increasing orthoptic literacy service. Experience in this area is not essential. 

An Enhanced DBS with barred lists for both Adults & Children is required for this post.

Main duties of the job

  • To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of the clinical workload.
  • Adhere to all relevant Codes of Practice within the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) Professional body & maintain an up-to-date professional registration at all times
  • Abide by relevant Code of Professional Practice at all times.
  • Provide the Orthoptic service autonomously both in the hospitals and at outreach clinics in the community as required
  • Independently select and perform a broad range of comprehensive, qualitative and quantitative, investigative, diagnostic and therapeutic Orthoptic procedures which require high degrees of accuracy, hand eye co-ordination, acute observation and dexterity. Analyse and evaluate the results to aid diagnosis and differential diagnosis. The patient group includes all ages from early infancy to the elderly and comprises all cases of ocular motility defects, congenital and acquired. It also includes patients with significant learning difficulties and complex medical conditions. Referrals are received from a range of specialities e.g. paediatrics, neurology, maxilla facial, stroke rehabilitation and endocrinology. Direct referrals are accepted.
  • Using specialist knowledge formulate individual management and treatment plans using clinical reasoning, a wide range of treatment skills and evidence-based practice

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 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, freeing up space for more unwell patients. 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

For more information about this role please see attached job description and person specification.

Advertising Date: 21st October 2025

Closing Date:  28th October 2025

Shortlisting Date: 29th October 2025

Proposed Interview Date:  TBC

Please be aware if a sufficient number of applicants are reached, we may close the vacancy early. 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Diploma or Degree in Orthoptics
  • State Registration with Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
Desirable criteria
  • Post Graduate Clinical Tutor qualification or equivalent (level 6)

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria
  • Proven clinical post graduate experience in broad range of adult & paediatric Orthoptic clinical practice
  • Evidence of recent continuing professional development
  • Previous experience in special educational needs
  • Experience in audit
Desirable criteria
  • Previous experience in clinical tutoring of Orthoptics

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Wide ranging comprehensive clinical skills in the Orthoptic assessment & management of patients of all ages and individual needs
  • Excellent communication skills (written & verbal) with all patients, carers, and all other health care professionals
  • Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team
  • Good time management skills
  • Good planning and organisational skills
  • Responsible for independent clinical & administrative decisions
  • IT literate

Other

Essential criteria
  • Outreach clinics in community settings therefore ability to reach locations as needed.
  • Transporting notes, equipment and laptop computer to & from outreach clinics
  • Working whilst maintaining an awkward posture during patient assessments e.g. kneeling, bending, twisting.
  • High levels of manual dexterity to perform tests
  • Continued use of computers to access patient case notes
  • Continuous decision making in all aspects of investigation, diagnosis & management. Analysis and problem solving.
  • Mental agility in assessing a diverse clinical caseload
  • Ability to work to high standards of accuracy using analytical skills and judgements continuously when assessing and treating patients
  • Ability to break bad news sensitively
  • Communication with distressed/anxious/worried patients/carers. Demonstrate empathy.
  • Exposure to verbal aggression at times
  • Adapt to variability of clinic rooms in hospital and at outreach venues
  • Working conditions may be unpleasant with exposure to e.g. fleas, lice, childhood illnesses, MRSA.

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

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
Victoria Devlin
Job title
Head Orthoptist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01744 646817
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