Optometry Liaison Specialist

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust; Coventry; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust is seeking an experienced administrator to provide a specialised secretarial service to the Optometry Department. You will manage patient and service enquiries, coordinate the Contact Lens Service administration, and support student and professional placements.

Working closely with the Optometry clinical team, you will ensure timely processing of invoices, vouchers, contracts, and communications, contributing to a high-quality patient

Qualifications

• Experience providing confidential administrative support.
• Strong organisational and time-management abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialised administrative and secretarial support to the Optometry Department.
• Coordinate the Contact Lens Service administration, invoices, and payments.
• Manage HES vouchers and liaise with Finance and external optometrists.
• Coordinate student and professional placements, including schedules and contracts.
• Handle high volumes of enquiries by telephone and email with professionalism.
• Draft routine communications and manage departmental correspondence and deadlines.
• Organise meetings, minute-taking, action tracking and distribution of outcomes.
• Develop and improve administrative processes to enhance service delivery.

Skills

Administrative support

Secretarial skills

Communication skills

Data entry

Tools

MS Office

Email/calendar management

Job description

To provide a specialised, comprehensive and confidential administrative and secretarial service supporting the effective delivery of the Optometry Department. The postholder will act as the central administrative liaison for the Optometry service, providing advice, coordinating patient and service enquiries, and ensuring key administrative processes are managed in accordance with Departmental, Trust and National requirements.

The role has particular responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the Contact Lens Service, including invoice processing and payments; coordinating patient access and enquiries across Optometry; administering HES vouchers; and coordinating student and professional placements. The postholder will work closely with the Optometry clinical team and other relevant services to support efficient service delivery and a high-quality patient experience.

• Act as the first point of contact for the Optometry Service, responding to and coordinating a wide range of enquiries.
• Coordinate the specialist Contact Lens Service, including ordering clinical contact lenses, processing documentation, maintaining databases, and arranging patient appointments and deliveries.
• Manage HES spectacle voucher claims, audits, invoicing, and payments in collaboration with Finance colleagues and community optometrists.
• Coordinate student and professional placements, including placement schedules, honorary contracts, communications, and associated financial processes.
• Handle a high volume of telephone enquiries professionally and sensitively, using sound judgement to resolve issues independently and elevate clinical matters appropriately.
• Manage incoming correspondence, draft routine communications, and ensure work is completed accurately and within agreed deadlines.
• Organise and support departmental meetings, including scheduling, minute-taking, action tracking, and communication of key outcomes.
• Develop and improve administrative systems and processes to enhance efficiency, responsiveness, and service delivery.

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, rated as good by the Care Quality Commission, is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the UK.

We are extremely proud of our employees across our hospital sites, with high quality patient care at the heart of everything we do.

Boasting some of the most modern facilities in Western Europe, the Trust is renowned for being at the forefront of research and innovation as part of its blossoming reputation as a worldwide leader in healthcare.

We are proud to be recognised as a Pathway to Excellence designated organisation - please click the link for further details about this prestigious award. Pathway To Excellence - University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire (uhcw.nhs.uk)

By joining our exciting journey, you will form part of a passionate, talented team and will be able to access a wide range of learning and development opportunities. There has never been a better time to join our team.

The Trust is committed to building an organisation that makes full use of the talents, skills, experience, and different perspectives available in our diverse society. We want everyone to feel they are respected, valued, can achieve their potential and receive the most appropriate and relevant care. We will create an environment where the equality and human rights principles of fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy are promoted and are part of the organisation's core values.

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Natalia Zatorska Job title: Administration Manager Email address: [e-mail] Telephone number: 02476966530

Claire Lloyd - Principal Optometrist