Ophthalmic Technician/Healthcare Assistant

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals; Chorley; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Applicants should have healthcare qualifications, strong customer service skills, and be prepared to work across the Chorley and Preston facilities. Part‑time applications are welcomed and training opportunities are provided.

Qualifications

• GCSE maths & English grade 4-9 or grade C or above (or Level 2 Functional Skills in maths and English)
• Complete the internal competency/training programme within 6 months of starting
• Level 3 QCF diploma (Healthcare / NVQ level 3)

Responsibilities

• Undertaking ophthalmic imaging and diagnostics including visual fields tests, visual acuity test and OCT.
• Provide support to patients in clinic who may be elderly or visually impaired
• Recording physical measurements, including accurate visual acuity, height and weight and vital signs.
• Working efficiently and proactively to ensure the clinic/ward runs smoothly.
• Contribute to a rota with shifts usually ranging from 7am to 7pm, including some weekend work.
• Part-time applications are welcome

Skills

Customer service

Patient care

Communication

Teamwork

Confidentiality

Education

GCSE maths & English (4–9) or Grade C+

Level 3 QCF diploma in healthcare / NVQ3

Complete internal competency/training within 6 months

Job description

We hope to be welcoming you to the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals team soon; we've shown you exactly why we're 'a great place to work', now it's time to see for yourself! Have a look at our current vacancies down below and make the first step to starting a fantastic new career. Need help with your NHS application? We've got you covered! Our brand-new step-by-step NHS Application Help Video will guide you through the process, making it easier, faster, and stress-free to apply. Additionally, you can check out our helpful Application Guide as well!

You can also look at our recruitment flipbook , an interactive brochure showcasing various entry-level roles. It includes a fun quiz to help you find the right role and links to more information about our hospitals and our fantastic staff.

Corporate Services Roles

For roles in our corporate services departments including – Digital Services (I.T), Recruitment, Employment Services, Temporary Staffing, Rostering, Procurement and Finance, these departments are now part of OneLSC and can be found on the ELHT website: https://elht.nhs.uk/working-us/our-vacancies

Ophthalmic Technician/Healthcare Assistant

Band 3

Main area Ophthalmology Grade Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time

37.5 hours per week Job ref 438-PB4822

Site Chorley and South Ribble Hospital Town Chorley Salary £25,760 - £27,476 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 20/10/2026 23:59

Job overview

Are you passionate about customer service, patient care, and offering the best patient experience?

This exciting role at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals is not your ordinary outpatient/ward positions – you will join the team as an Ophthalmic Technician/HCA bringing your valued customer service knowledge and skills to meet the caring values of our organisation making sure every patient receives the best experience in our hospital.

We are looking for individuals with a strong background of providing a pro-active and first-class customer service, a real desire to provide excellent patient care & the ability to communicate politely, professionally with all patients and colleagues.

You will work as part of a dynamic team committed to high standards of care for all of our patients.

Main duties of the job

You’ll be responsible for assisting patients and ensuring the best customer journey throughout including

• Undertaking ophthalmic imaging and diagnostics including visual fields tests, visual acuity test and OCT.
• Provide support to patients in clinic who may be elderly or visually impaired
• Recording physical measurements, including accurate visual acuity, height and weight and vital signs.
• Working efficiently and proactively to ensure the clinic/ward runs smoothly.
• You will be expected to contribute to a rota with a variety of shifts usually ranging from 7am to 7 pm. This will include some weekend working.
• Part time applications are welcome

Working for our organisation

We have 10000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.

Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients & staff, ensuring we keep thriving & delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.

You’ll have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet fab people & do things you’d never have done. You’ll learn about working in a hospital, interacting with people from all different roles to build skills & enhance your career path.

You’ll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold & help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care and enhancing their experience which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will be based in Lancashire Eye Centre at Chorley Hospital. This is a purpose build ophthalmic centre with state of the art facilities. The posts will rotate between Chorley Hospital and Eye Assessment Unit at Preston Hospital

The role will be part of a multi-disciplinary team and you will play a vital part in ensuring our patients receive the best possible care.

We will support you in developing your skills and offer opportunities for training and education. In additionwe offer a comprehensive induction to ensure you are skilled in undertaking the day to day tasks.

Person specification

Qualifications & Education

• GCSE maths & English grade 4- 9 or grade C or above OR level 2 functional skills in maths and level 2 functional skills in English
• Complete the internal competency/ training programme within 6 months of starting
• Level 3 QCF diploma (Qualification Credit Framework) in healthcare / NVQ level 3

Knowledge & Experience

• Working within a team
• Dealing with the public
• Awareness of confidentiality Infection control
• Previous experience of working in a health care or related setting

Thanks for taking the time to view this advert; we’re looking forward to receiving your application. You should be aware that the vacancy may close earlier than the published date if sufficient applications are received so it would be best to apply as soon as you can. We’ll contact you by e‑mail to update you on the progress of your application so please check the e‑mail account that you applied from (including spam/junk) regularly.

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, neurodiversity or veteran status are encouraged to apply for this post. Our Statement on the Recruitment of Ex‑Offenders is available Here

To support you in your application process we’ve created a What we can offer you guide that shows what you can expect when you join our hospitals. The guide includes links to our strategic aims and objectives as well as our values, development support and rewards and benefits. To help you get the best from your application we’ve also put together two guides to help you make your application the best it can be. Just click here and here to go through them, or have themopen as you complete your application.

We recognise that the recruitment process may present barriers for some and you may need personal adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process. Please make contact with the recruitment team at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information.
AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Supporting Information

The supporting information section is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.
Our recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. They will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work‑related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.
Consider structuring your supporting information section with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.

Working Smarter pledge

We are reminded everyday of how important life is, so as part of our Working Smarter pledge we offer a variety of flexible working options and wellbeing support to enable our people to find and maintain the right work‑life balance.

Secondments

If you are applying for a secondment role please ensure you have agreement from your current line manager prior to attending an interview. Also please ensure you have read the LTHTR Secondment Policy. A copy of this can be found on the intranet or by contacting [e-mail]

Please note a young person must be in part‑time education or training until they’re 18. therefore if you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

If the role you’ve applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one‑off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40 Standard DBS check £26.40 and Enhanced DBS check £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here .

In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working. This includes mask wearing and adherence to social distancing at all Trust sites.

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We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

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