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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To assess diagnose and manage all patients referred to the orthoptic department to include the following specialist groups: Children and adults with learning disabilities, Children and adults with physical disabilities, Children and adults with neurological, maxilla-facial and endocrine problems, Stroke patients, Glaucoma patients, Downs’ syndrome patients, Children from the child development centre.

To be responsible for patients undergoing orthoptic treatment as inpatients or outpatients.

To liaise with the Head Orthoptist regarding problems arising.

To assess and diagnose new patients and develop and manage a specialised treatment package appropriate to the needs of the individual patient adhering to national and local guidelines.

Assess patients with TB, HIV and AIDS referred for visual field testing.

To instruct and negotiate the implementation of the care package with individual patients and their carers to ensure compliance, in such as to overcome ant barriers to understanding.

Provide motivational support for patients and parents undergoing prolonged and difficult treatments.

To carry out appropriate visual field testing on patients referred by the Ophthalmologists, Neurologists and other medical practitioners within the hospital and to provide feedback and where required a summary of the results obtained.

To carry out HRT II (Heidelberg Retinal Topography) visual field testing, OCTs and measure IOPs as part of the glaucoma monitoring service.

To take part in clinical audit.

To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of techniques and technology and to attend appropriate training as part of our CPD (continuing professional development) and to be responsible for maintaining your own CPD folder.

To be responsible for managing and incorporating any unplanned workload in such a way as to minimise inconvenience to patients and maximise the smooth running of the Orthoptic and eye clinics.

As an autonomous practitioner, the post-holder will be responsible for the decision to instil drops for diagnostic and refraction purposes, the appropriate strength required and to advise patients of the side effects.

To undertake pre- and post-operative measurements of motility defects. Significant manual dexterity and speed will be required to ensure accurate results especially in infants having eye surgery. Surgery will be based on the Orthoptic measurements.

To discuss surgical options with the surgeon.

To assist surgeon in post-operative adjustable suture techniques. This requires accurate measurement to assist the surgeon with ocular alignment whilst the patient is under local anaesthesia.

To identify surgical risks (pre, and post surgery) and to discuss these with the patients (parents / carers) and surgeon.

To assess patients’ post-operative outcome and modify treatment accordingly.

To work as a part of a multi-disciplinary team consisting of Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Orthoptists, Ophthalmic technicians Nurses, and Clerks etc.

To assist and provide internal cover for colleagues during periods of annual leave, sickness and vacancies.

To utilise a range of verbal and non-verbal (e.g. Makaton sign language) mechanisms in the assessment and communication of treatment plans to patients and parents to progress visual improvement. This will include patients who may have difficulties in understanding e.g. stroke victims, patients with a learning disability.

To be aware of barriers to communication and be able to overcome them effectively with for example: learning disabled parents; where English is not the first language; with patients with expressive language difficulties (stroke victims).

To tactfully explain the details of the medical condition which may be highly complex. This requires an holistic and tactful approach where patients or parents have no knowledge of the ocular defects associated with particular medical conditions and / or who have difficulty accepting the diagnosis.

To communicate initial potential diagnosis which may be of a distressing nature.

To participate in clinical teaching to a wide range of professionals.