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Job summary

Main area
Ophthalmology
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 3
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
37.5 hours per week (4 days per week with some evening and weekend working 08:00 -18:00 x 3 days per week 08:00-17:30 late 11:30 -21:00)
Job ref
249-7043315-2
Employer
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Great Western Hospital
Town
Swindon
Salary
£24,625 - £25,674 pro rata per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
10/04/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust logo

Ophthalmic Technician

NHS AfC: Band 3

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a unique organisation, serving as the sole integrated provider in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire system. Our scope extends beyond boundaries as we oversee adult community services in Swindon and provide acute care from the Great Western Hospital. 

Our 5,500 staff have 1.2m patient contacts a year, with 13,000 operations carried out in our Theatres, around 4,000 babies born, and our emergency attendances are now well over 100,000 per year. Those numbers only tell part of our story about what an exciting time it is to join Great Western Hospitals.

We are cultivating a culture that fosters our ambitions, prioritising equality, diversion, inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership. We aim to create an environment where every member of our team can truly thrive.

The Trust is a Disability Confident Employer; all applicants who have a disability can opt to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme, which means that, providing they meet the minimum essential criteria for the post, they will be offered an interview. We are also proudly accredited as a Veteran Aware organisation and have signed The Armed Forces Covenant.

If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close adverts prior to the published closing date. Therefore, we advise you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

Job overview

Band 3 Ophthalmic Technician

FULL & PT HOURS AVAILABLE (this means that candidates interested in working part time are encouraged to apply and will receive a salary on a pro rata basis)

We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated Band 3 Ophthalmic Technicians to join our team. The successful candidates will be involved in enhancing the patient’s pathway from referral to treatment through the Ophthalmology Outpatient department.

Previous Ophthalmic experience preferred, or training will be given to the right candidates.

Main duties of the job

As an Ophthalmic technician you will carry out essential tests to support the work of both the clinical staff and nursing team with diagnostics tests to assist with diagnosis these will include visual acuity, taking images using OCT (Ocular Coherence Tomographer).

You will be given the opportunity to learn about the speciality within a safe environment and have the support of nursing colleagues, clinicians, and Consultants.

You will need to be: 

  • Hard working and reliable
  • Work calmly under pressure
  • Good Team player
  • Willing to develop skills to support the patient’s pathway from referral to treatment

The post will include evening and weekends when required.

If you would like to know more about this role or visit the department on an informal basis, please contact:

Tim Vines / Karen Walker 01793 604861

 Jess Mason, Senior Sister for Head & Neck on 01793 604872

Working for our organisation

Our STAR values – Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect – are a golden thread running through everything we do. These values serve as a guiding principle, driving us towards our vision of delivering great joined up services to our local community. Whether at home, in the community, or within the hospital, our goal is to empower individuals to lead independent and healthier lives.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Ophthalmic Technicians carry out essential tests to support the work of medical and nursing staff in the Eye Department including our satellite clinics at Eldene and Savernake and other sites as applicable. There are clinical and administrative roles as directed by the senior nurse in charge.

Please see attached job description for full details.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • GCSE in English and Maths (or equivalent skill level)
Desirable criteria
  • NVQ 3

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Previous experience within a health care setting  Ophthalmic experience  Visual acuity/ field testing  Ability to train others

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Good communication skills – able to communicate verbally and in writing to staff, patients, and relatives  Ability to prioritise workload and manage own time effectively  Able to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team  Able to build effective working relationships with staff and colleagues
Desirable criteria
  • Willing to undertake and complete Care certificate & observational training

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveDisability confident leaderInvestors in People: Goldhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/kickstart-scheme-employer-resources/kickstart-scheme-brand-guidelinesStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Step into healthArmed Forces Covenant

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
Jessica Mason
Job title
Senior Sister
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01793604872
Additional information

Tim Vines / Karen Walker 01793 604861

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