Ophthalmic Technician - Swindon

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.

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

This role is offered on a part time basis of 32 hours per week, 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

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

• GCSE in English and Maths (or equivalent skill level)

• NVQ 3

Experience

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

Knowledge

• 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

• Willing to undertake and complete Care certificate & observational training

Thank you for expressing interest in this role. For further employer guidance, please review the attached supplementary applicant information.

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used, then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Not all roles in the Trust are eligible for sponsorship.

Eligibility for this role requires:

• Current right to work in the UK, subject to verification.
• Qualification of the eligibility sponsorship criteria

From 4 April 2024, UK immigration policy changes has increased minimum salary levels for skilled workers. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

Current employees should be aware that this position is advertised as a Great Western Hospitals position and appointment ends any TUPE protection.

Payment for DBS checks for bank posts must be settled prior to commencement. Apprentices are exempt from DBS payment.

We are committed to supporting our staff in achieving a healthy work-life balance through flexible work arrangements. Upon joining the Trust, you have the right to request flexible working, with an unlimited number of requests allowed.

Upon acceptance of a job offer, your information will be transferred to the national NHS Electronic Staff Records System. All communication regarding your application will be conducted via email; please ensure to check your junk/spam folders as emails may occasionally be filtered there.