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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will display a high profile, be accessible and responsive as a clinical leader with management responsibility for the Optometrists and optometry service delivery in Warwick Hospital, Stratford Hospital and George Eliot Hospital.  

Displaying excellent leadership skills, the post holder will ensure that the department delivers high quality patient experience, care and outcomes.  

The post holder will make informed decisions within their own specialty and scope of professional practice, involving the patients and public to ensure agreed standards, targets and objectives.  

To work in collaboration with the leads within Ophthalmology, operational teams and medical  and nursing leads  ensuring the optometry service aligns with the ophthalmology strategy.  

Expertise & Excellence in Clinical Practice

To undertake independent comprehensive assessment and management of patients to incorporate physiological, psychological and pharmacological considerations, making multifaceted complex clinical decisions regarding patient management and clinical outcomes, including listing patients for elective procedures and discharging patients when treatment is complete or optimum outcome achieved.

To use an extended scope of practice beyond own profession recognising any limitation and knowledge and referring to senior medical staff when scope of practice is exceeded.

Provide expert advice and ensure the needs of the patient are met by leading, challenging and changing practice within the clinical setting.

Independently adjust treatment plans according to need, assessing appropriate management options and initiate treatment or referral to an appropriate professional where necessary. 

Request investigations appropriately, independently interpreting and acting upon the results and adjusting the patient's management plan accordingly. 

Request therapeutic procedures or interventions and evaluate the outcome of these interventions. 

Assess and manage patients with complex problems, making independent referrals to medical teams and other practitioners within and outside the Ophthalmology Directorate. 

Provide education and counselling regarding the range of treatment options available to the patient. 

Provide the patient with comprehensive information regarding clinical procedures, ensuring informed consent. 

Obtain written consent for surgical procedures, assessing capacity.

Manage complete programmes of care which provides support for patients and their families. 

Make clinical decisions in the absence of specific protocols. 

Use effective communication skills at an advanced level. 

Correspond with GP's regarding treatment and management, formulating discharge letters. 

Establish close liaison and communication between all disciplines involved in the care of patients and their families and work in partnership with other practitioners.

Management & Leadership

Clinical line management of the Optometry teams at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust and George Eliot Hospital.  Liaising with patient experience/liaison team, operational managers, and divisional managers ensuring a high standard and consistent delivery of service.

To train, appraise and develop ophthalmic specialist staff. 

Promote clinical awareness of the need for constant review and development of professional practice, securing agreed changes or development in practice and taking action when unsatisfactory practice is identified. 

Ensure effective use of physical and financial resources. 

Manage the budget resources for the Optometry service identifying potential for cost savings and be an authorised signatory for ordering Optometry supplies and equipment. 

Contribute to the strategic and operational development of the Ophthalmology service in line with current national guidelines. 

Lead the development and review of care pathways, protocols and clinical guidelines relating to specialist roles within the directorate. 

Ensure the duty rota reflects the workloads and timetables in the departments and maximises resources to ensure safe staffing and service delivery is achieved across the hospitals.
To oversee the new referrals to the Optometry department, ensuring patients receive the appropriate first Optometry and Ophthalmology appointments. 

Manage the Optometry staff ensuring their direct involvement in decision making and development of the service. 

To fully line manage the Optometry department including recruitment and selection, dealing with disciplinary issues and grievances and sickness management and all other associated management roles in accordance with Trust policy. 

Liaise with appropriate departments within the Trust regarding the modification of traditional role boundaries to facilitate the development of the advanced role. 

Develop standards by which the ongoing development of the advanced role can be monitored. 

Ensure the department resources are used in an appropriate and cost effective manner and that risks and incidents are reported.

Act as a role model to others, providing information and support to develop roles. 

Communicate effectively with patients and staff, providing and receiving highly complex, sensitive or contentious information.  To display influential, motivational, training, negotiation, empathic and reassurance skills and use as required.   

Work collaboratively with the General Manager, Nurse and Orthoptic leads and Ophthalmology stakeholders to escalate issues and concerns, recognise achievements and opportunities for staff and service development within ophthalmology, ensure patient safety and enhance patient experience.

Analyse data and provide reports as required in response to service demands, capacity and business development.

Represent the Trust by contributing to and participating in meetings locally, regionally and nationally relating to the speciality.

To provide clinical leadership, giving advice and support to staff as required and acting as patients’ advocate at all times across Ophthalmology services.

Promote an environment that supports and values staff.

Demonstrate through effective leadership the ability to provide professional and emotional support to individuals and groups, e.g. during difficult situations or unexpected events.

Provide an environment that supports practice development and managing change in a supportive and positive manner.
Quality/Governance

To work independently and unsupervised within the code of practice of the professional body General Optical Council (GOC) and ensure a consistently high standard of service is maintained to members of the public and staff. 

To contribute to the clinical governance / audit meetings, research, policy implementation and service development within Ophthalmology as required. 

To participate in the delivery of the clinical governance and risk management agenda of the department and Trusts.

Adhere to the Trusts procedures for managing incidents; developing and where appropriate liaising with AHP’s and medical staff in order to devise action plans to address risk issues and communicate any changes in practice to all staff.  Investigate and prepare statements as requested to assist in investigations.

To develop and maintain effective communication systems with all personnel internal and external to the Trusts.

To participate in multi-disciplinary audit to ensure standards are continually reviewed and developed.

Work in partnership with the General Manager and service leads to develop, implement and evaluate direction and service development.

Be responsible for development, implementation and evaluation of projects to improve patient’s care and service development.

Promote best practice in health, safety and security.

To accept responsibility and act as role model in compliance with the Trusts infection control policies, ensuring training and awareness for self and the team to maintain good practice.

Maintain a safe environment and culture that improves, health, safety, quality and security as well as promoting equality and valuing diversity.

Ensure that all staff consciously review mistakes, complaints and incidents/near misses as well as successes to improve performance and the level of patient care.

To provide support to patients, relatives and staff when exposed to highly unpleasant working conditions and to work towards keeping these exposures to a minimum.

Personal and Professional Development

Identify own learning and development needs. 

Keep updated with developments in advanced roles through personal professional development, maintaining and extending professional knowledge and skills and applying this to practice. 

Ensure the learning and training needs of each member of specialist staff is met, as determined by annual appraisal. 

Act as a resource of information within the clinical setting for junior clinical staff. 

Teach students, qualified and unqualified staff, medical staff and other professionals by example, demonstration, explanation and evaluation. 

Develop and deliver training and education to support the development of good practice. 

Participate in research, identifying areas of own clinical practice that require research or audit, appraising outcomes and applying them to clinical practice.