Optical Healthcare Assistant
Job overview
The Ophthalmology Department at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust has approximately 29,000 attendances per year. The client base covers the full life range of ages from neonates to patients in excess of 100 years.
We have a full time and part time vacancies as an Optical Health Care Assistant. This is an exciting opportunity for an existing dispensing Optical Assistant/Health Care Assistant to join our friendly professional ophthalmic team. This position will be based at our Salisbury purpose built unit .
The post holder will take part in the day-to-day service delivery within the department, and have experience of working with people who have a visual impairment.
Previous experience within a health care setting and/or optical community setting is essential preferably within secondary care with an education qualification in numeracy and literacy. It would be advantageous if all applicants had an NVQ/QCF in Health and Social Care /Care Certificate but show a willingness to undertake if these qualifications have not been achieved.
Applicants who have a dispensing related qualification from primary care are encouraged to apply for this role.
Main duties of the job
Working alongside the Ophthalmology team in the day to day running of clinics, carrying our relevant diagnostics examinations.
Assisting in the running of pre and post-operative clinics including diagnostic activity
Addressing patient queries effectively to offer support and reassurance
Cleaning, preparing and assembling of associated surgical equipment prior to and during treatment
Acting as Intravitreal injection runner/escort
Preparing all areas prior to any clinical activities ensuring equipment is checked ready for use.
You will be a key member of our nursing team providing support with our registered nurses to children, patients and families. You will work alongside the outpatient team running clinics and performing visual acuities and assisting in diagnostic procedures.
Ensuring equipment is stored correctly and assisting with stock control
Working for our organisation
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust (SFT) is an innovative hospital with a proud heritage and over 250 years of experience behind us. Here we’re driven to deliver an outstanding experience for everyone and have been well regarded for the quality of care and treatment we continue to provide for our patients and also our staff.
We are an acute Trust, rated “Good” by the CQC, with a track record of high performance providing regional and super regional specialist services such as: Burns, Plastics & Reconstructive Surgery, Wessex Regional Genetics Laboratory, Wessex Rehabilitation, Spires Cleft Centre and the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre.We have about 470 beds and employ over 4000 staff.
We support flexible working and will consider requests taking into account the needs of the service. We think working here is pretty rewarding. You can access a range of NHS discounts, receive a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.On-site benefits include car parking (fee applies), leisure centre, day nursery and holiday play scheme.
Salisbury is an attractive place to live and work and really gives you the best of everything. With easy access to London and local airports, the city of Southampton is only a short train or car journey away or if you prefer the sea, Bournemouth is also accessible.Don’t just take our word for it, why not explore what Salisbury has to offer by visiting www.experiencesalisbury.co.uk
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached Job description and person specification for full details of roles and responsibilities.
Person specification
Application Form
Essential criteria- Educated to GCSE grade C or equivalent in key skills level 2 or functional skills level 2 numeracy and literacy.
- NVQ/QCF in Health or Health and Social Care Level 2/3 or willingness to undertake Care Certificate.
- Have a dispensing related qualification (if already working in primary care)
- Good communication skills, able to communicate respectfully verbally and in writing.
- Experience working in an acute hospital setting and/or community knowledge of speciality
- Computer literate with basic ECDL skills.
- Understanding of the role of a HCA in Ophthalmology
- Good communication skills and current evidence of dealing with members of the general public.
- Holiday starting at 27 days plus Bank Holidays rising to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years for Agenda for Change staff
- Holiday entitlement for Medical and Dental staff starts at 27 days for Junior/Senior Clinical Fellows, Specialty Doctors and rises to 32 days after 5 years. Consultant entitlement starts at 32 days and rises to 34 days after 7 years
- An additional day's leave to celebrate your birthday (after 12 months & non contractual) pro rata
- Access to a career average revalued earnings pension scheme
- Life assurance if a member of the pension scheme
- An extensive Health and Wellbeing offer to help you deal with life's challenges
- Exclusive deals and discounts websites saving you money on everyday purchases, treats for the family, eating out and utility bills for home
- Cycle to work scheme
- Uniform provided (where required)
- On site Day Nursery and Holiday Play scheme
- On site health and fitness club
- On site car parking (fee's and restrictions apply)
- Opportunities to get on - take advantage of our ongoing learning opportunities and training, to help you achieve the job and career you want.
Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if we receive a large number of applications. We will not accept any applications or queries via agencies, under any circumstances.
SEASONAL RESPIRATORY VACCINATIONS
We continue to encourage and support our staff to participate in the seasonal respiratory vaccination programme in order to protect themselves, colleagues and their patients.
GETTING TO WORK
We offer parking on site at Salisbury District Hospital, a daily charge applies. We encourage our staff to utilise other green methods of getting to work such as cycling or walking where possible, and our Trust is well connected through the bus services to the city centre and other areas.
OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUALITY
We are committed to making Salisbury an inclusive and welcoming place for every single staff member, regardless of who they are and where they come from. Equality sits at the heart of everything we do, and we ensure that all employees have equal opportunity to develop, to apply for promotions and to work flexibly.
The Trust actively promotes a work environment free from harassment and discrimination and provides training for staff to ensure this happens. We also closely monitor recruitment activity, training, development and employment practices to ensure equality of practice with regard to race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, martial status and age.
OTHER INFORMATION
If this job requires you to have DBS check to enable you to properly fulfil the requirements of the job, on appointment, you will be required to replay the cost of obtaining a DBS check and this amount will be reclaimed in instalments from your salary.Many staff use the DBS update service at a cost of £13 per annum but you need to sign up for this via their website.
Please read the job description and person specification carefully and ensure that your application reflects the knowledge, skills and experience required.
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