Ophthalmic Assistant

Newmedica; Plymouth; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27,500 salary per year

25 days annual leave

Company pension scheme

Eye tests available

Glasses discount

24/7 well-being/counselling service

Retail/technology discount scheme

Job summary

Newmedica is seeking an Ophthalmic Assistant for our Plymouth site. The role is 37.5 hours over 4 days per week, with some weekend rota work. You will engage with patients, conduct diagnostic tests, and support the theatre pathway to ensure a safe, smooth patient journey.

Training is provided; strong communication and comfortable use of systems such as Office 365 are preferred. A friendly, empathetic approach helps put patients at ease during clinic visits.

Qualifications

• Experience in patient-facing roles or healthcare support.
• Knowledge of eye physiology and common eye treatments.
• Proficient in English, both written and spoken.
• Experience handling patient records and diagnostic data.
• Strong teamwork and willingness to support colleagues.
• Comfortable using new systems and diagnostic software.

Responsibilities

• Take patients through diagnostic tests and prepare them for clinician review.
• Support theatre pathway and multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe patient journey.
• Explain test purposes and procedures to patients to aid understanding.
• Assist in clinic and theatre settings as needed.
• Contribute to a positive and empathetic patient experience.

Skills

Patient-facing experience

Eye physiology knowledge

English language proficiency

Data handling of patient records

Team player

Adaptable to new systems

Tools

Office 365

Job description

Job Description

Ophthalmic Assistant

Who are we?

Newmedica is one of the leading providers of NHS ophthalmology services in England, delivering outpatient appointments, diagnostic testing and eye surgery to change lives through better sight and eye health.

We’re proud to have been certified as a Great Place to Work for the third year running and listed among the UK’s top 30 Best Workplaces™ for 2026 —recognition that reflects how colleagues feel about working here.

Our Purpose is to change lives through better sight and eye health, and our Vision is to end avoidable sight loss in every community we serve; we live our values every day—Commercial, Courageous, Compassion, Collaborative and Curious.

Role overview

We are looking for a new Ophthalmic Assistant to join our Plymouth site. This will be 37.5 hours over 4 days per week including some weekends on a rota basis. Our Ophthalmic Assistants are the face of Newmedica – they’re often amongst the first people that our patients interact with on clinic visits and so having a welcoming, friendly, empathetic approach is vital.

It’s a busy role - you’ll be seeing a number of patients each day to take them through a range of diagnostic tests. These will be passed onto a senior clinician to ascertain if surgery or further treatment is required. You’ll be using a variety of different equipment and systems so we’re looking for someone who is comfortable using systems and is fairly tech savvy.

You’ll also play an active role in the theatre pathway, supporting patients and the multidisciplinary team to ensure a safe and positive patient journey.

The thought of eye surgery can be a daunting prospect for patients to deal with, so our Ophthalmic Assistants need to be able to put patients at ease. They also need strong communication skills to be able to explain the purpose of the different tests to ensure the patient understands their treatment.

This is a great role to progress your clinical skills or to take the first step on a clinical career path. Newmedica is committed to the growth and development of all our colleagues and the Ophthalmic Assistant is a great platform to potentially explore a career in diagnostic (clinic) or theatre teams.

What skills and experience do I need?

We’ll provide training so experience isn’t always needed, but the following things will be advantageous:

• Previous experience of working with patients or in a customer facing role
• Knowledge of eye physiology and treatment or a keen interest to build knowledge in this area.
• A competent user of all Office 365 programmes & comfortable working on new systems such as patient record systems or diagnostic programmes.
• An excellent grasp of the English language both verbally and in written format
• Experience of dealing with a variety of data for example patient records, GP and patient correspondence and diagnostic test results
• A good team player – happy to jump in and support others when required

What we’re offering

• A salary of £27,500
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• A company pension scheme
• Access to a range of benefits including free eye tests, discounted or free glasses, a free 24/7 well-being/counselling/advice service and a retail/technology discount scheme.
• An environment where your learning and development is supported through a range of various learning tools and courses.
• Working with a friendly multi-disciplinary team passionate about improving the lives of our patients
• A bright, spacious and modern working environment, built to the highest standards

Our employment offers are subject to receipt of satisfactory pre-employment checks. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and a Disclosure and Barring Service check will be necessary in the event of a successful application which we will pay for.

At Newmedica, we actively promote diversity and equal opportunities, and we are committed to this in both the running of our services and how we recruit our staff. We actively encourage applications from everyone with the essential requirements of the job, regardless of any protected characteristics.

Newmedica is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all people, irrespective of gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, language, religion, ethnic or social origin