Diabetic Retinal Screener

Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; England; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization is looking for a Retinal Screener to deliver patient care within the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme across Staffordshire and Shropshire. The role involves using specialized equipment to conduct screenings and requires good communication skills, IT literacy, and a full UK driving license. Experience in healthcare is preferred. This position offers career development in a supportive NHS environment.

Benefits

Ongoing training and support

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Good general education with English and Maths to GCSE standard or equivalent.
• Experience of working in a Healthcare or Optician practice.
• Experience of working with members of the public.

Responsibilities

• Be the responsible person for transporting and operating digital retinal cameras.
• Pre-screen patients and record essential information.
• Capture digital retinal images according to National Quality Assurance criteria.

Skills

Good Communication Skills

IT skills

Customer Care

Education

GCSEs in English and Maths

Tools

Retinal Camera

Bespoke software

Job description

Job Overview

Are you interested in joining a progressive successful team in the NHS delivering a Public Health Service for people with Diabetes to help prevent blindness? Midlands Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust has a vacancy at an entry level Band 3 for a Retinal Screener. We welcome your application to join our screening team.

You will deliver a service in various locations travelling across Staffordshire & Shropshire such as health centres, community centres, GP practices and prisons. You may be required to drive Trust vehicles, so access to your own vehicle and a full UK driver’s license will be essential.

You will be using the latest technology to screen patients with Diabetes. You will see patients in your clinic, complete a basic vision test, dilate their pupils and take retinal images using our specialist equipment. Full training will be given. You will be required to undertake a Level 3 Diploma in Health Screening which can take up to 2 years to complete.

The post holder will have a high degree of individual responsibility. You will be required to work innovatively whilst being part of a team supporting your colleagues. This is a service user focused role and experience of customer services or dealing with people in a health setting would be beneficial.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work as part of a team reporting to the Team Leaders. You will be first point of contact for patients in clinic and responsible for Pre-screening and Screening patients as appropriate and in accordance with National Screening and local policies, protocols and procedures.

The Diabetic Eye Screening Programme offers eye screening for all people with diabetes over the age of 12 years. The service operates using mobile screening, visiting GP surgeries and static screening locations in Health Centres and Hospitals across Staffordshire.

You will provide support to your patients to deliver an efficient, patient centred well delivered service. You will ensure patient confidentiality, use your initiative and have a flexible approach.

Good Communications Skills Are Essential.

Working for our organisation

Come and work with us at our award-winning NHS Trust, leading the way for trying new and better ways of working to help improve life for our local communities.

We have around 9,000 staff who provide physical and mental healthcare, support for people with learning disabilities, and adult social care across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin. We also run regional and national services, including help for new parents (perinatal care), eating disorders, forensic services, sexual health, and support for people in prison with mental health, drug, or alcohol problems.

We offer great career development for both clinical and non-clinical roles, with ongoing training and support to help you learn and grow. We are ‘United in our Uniqueness’ and committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and can be themselves, no matter their background or identity. We want our staff to feel supported and valued, and we aim to build a team that reflects the communities we serve. Together, we can make sure every voice is heard, and every difference is respected.

Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.

Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Be the responsible person for transporting, maintaining and operating digital retinal cameras and associated software and equipment. Equipment is often bulky and all manual handling rules and health & safety apply.
• Knowledge of the screening software to ensure patient information is recorded accurately and in accordance with National and local protocols. Accuracy required for updating the patients screening records to reflect current information is essential. You should be prepared for a busy environment with planned workload, while being ready for short notice changes.
• Pre-screen patients recording all essential information such as patient consent, ethnicity, diabetes status, and ocular history. Patients can be concerned and require careful considerate management to deal with ocular problems. Exposure to distressing/emotional circumstances is rare.
• Prepare patients for screening by performing visual acuity measurement and instillation of medical eye drops to dilate the pupils. Record results accurately on bespoke software. Understand the implications of dilation drops and when it is not appropriate to use them.
• Capture digital retinal images according to National Quality Assurance criteria and following local policies, standards and protocols. Patients may be wheelchair users or physically disabled and may require assistance in positioning at the camera, which will require physical effort from the screener.
• Excellent communication and customer care are essential elements of the role. You should communicate eye screening information to patients in a way that they understand the pathway, especially for urgent referable disease.
• Recognise the priority required for each image set and triage appropriately, ensuring senior colleagues are informed of urgent pathology via the internal software alert system.
• Work independently in screening locations following set policies and procedures to minimise delays. This may involve multi-tasking, such as booking ambulance transport for patients while still delivering the service to other patients.
• Deliver a flexible screening service in NHS Health Centres, Hospitals, GP Practices, and Community Centres across Staffordshire & Shropshire. Promptness and timekeeping are essential elements in service delivery.
• Adhere to all Policies and Protocols and escalate all images showing concern or abnormality as appropriate to a senior member of staff within agreed timescales.
• Assist the Service Management Centre team with patient registrations, managing screening clinics, appointment bookings, patient cancellations and Did Not Attends as required.
• Work as part of a team to increase screening activity across Staffordshire & Shropshire, encouraging attendance, especially in areas of deprivation and with minority groups.
• Discuss and communicate with clients the importance of Diabetic Eye Screening. Follow-up patients where necessary, particularly for those with a referable eye condition, ensuring understanding of appointment priority and need to attend Hospital Eye Services where necessary.
• Travel to clinical locations across Staffordshire & Shropshire arriving in time to set up equipment and check locations, ensuring Health and Safety of patients, colleagues and self.
• Provide guidance to new or less experienced colleagues in own work area.
• Undertake surveys or audits as necessary to own work.
• IT literate using bespoke software, laptop computers and a reasonable level of Microsoft package competency.
• Responsible for all retinal screening equipment and laptop computers issued to you.

Person specification

Qualifications & Training

Essential criteria

• Good general education with English and Maths to GCSE standard or equivalent (5 GCSEs or equivalent).

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of working in a Healthcare or Optician practice.
• Experience of working with members of the public.

Desirable criteria

• Ability to use specialised, technical equipment e.g. Retinal Camera, bespoke software.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

Essential criteria

• IT skills, including keyboard skills and experience of Microsoft packages and databases.

Person Attributes

Essential criteria

• Punctual, reliable and flexible to the service needs.
• Communicate effectively and appropriately with patients when delivering complex screening information.
• Must have a full UK driving licence and access to own vehicle (Therefore ability to get to screening sites across Staffordshire & Shropshire to deliver the service).