Principal Optometrist

Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, Fellowship

Greater London

On-site

GBP 60,000 - 90,000

Full time

6 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Salary with High-Cost Area Supplement

NHS Pension Scheme

Free 24/7 independent counselling

Job summary

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a highly skilled Principal Optometrist to lead the optometry service within the hospital. The post involves delivering highly specialist clinical care, supervising staff, and driving sub-speciality care, teaching, and research.

The successful candidate will join a large, multidisciplinary team and contribute to education, patient care, and service development across the City Road site and networked locations.

Qualifications

Post-qualification hospital experience required.
Essential criteria include BSc (Hons) Optometry and Specialist College qualifications.
Desirable: Higher qualifications and Independent Prescribing diploma.

Responsibilities

Lead optometrist in the designated clinic/service.
Develop the role of optometrists within the service.
Supervise clinical examinations and prescribing decisions.
Provide expert opinion on complex cases within the Clinics and Optometry Department.

Skills

Slit-lamp examination

Retinoscopy

Ocular imaging interpretation

Clinical leadership

Education

BSc (Hons) Optometry

Specialist College of Optometrists Prof Cert Qualifications

Diploma in Independent Prescribing (or pursuing)

Tools

OCT imaging

Slit-lamp device

Job description

YOU MAKE US MORE

Join Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust At Moorfields, people’s sight matters—and so do the people who make it possible.

YOU MAKE US MORE Join Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust At Moorfields, people’s sight matters—and so do the people who make it possible.
For over 200 years, Moorfields has been at the forefront of ophthalmic care, research, and education. With more than 2,300 dedicated team members and over 700,000 patients seen annually across our City Road site and 22 networked sites, we are proud to be a global centre of excellence.
We're also a vibrant community where kindness, equity and excellence shape every aspect of our work. Whether it’s pioneering research through our partnership with UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre or training the next generation of global eye care leaders, we’re united by one mission—delivering world‑class eye health, sustainably and at scale.
And we’re just getting started.
From 2027, we’ll move to our brand-new Oriel site in St Pancras, Camden—a state-of-the-art centre that will unite eye care, research, and education under one roof. This groundbreaking facility, developed in partnership with UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity, will enable transformative innovation and collaboration like never before.
Could you be part of this future? Make us more.

Job Overview

We are looking for a highly skilled and motivated optometrist for a principal Optometrist post working within our City Road The post will consist of delivering highly specialist clinical care. Applicants need to have prior experience working in the hospital service and already have the relevant higher qualifications from the College of Optometrists or be working towards them (see Person Specification). The successful applicants will be joining an enthusiastic and friendly team of consultants, optometrists, orthoptists, ophthalmic nurses and technicians working within the hospital. As well as joining the largest hospital optometry department that delivers sub‑speciality care, research and education within the optometry sector. Moorfields provides high quality ophthalmology services across the full range of sub‑specialities in hospital and community settings.
There are full and part time vacancies available.

Main duties of the job

To be the lead optometrist in the designated clinic/service for the Optometry Department.
To develop the role of optometrists within the service in conjunction with the Consultant Ophthalmologists within the clinics and the Service Lead and Head of Optometry.
To represent the hospital and the optometric profession in the teaching the management of conditions, by developing UK wide models of eye care.
To have overall responsibility for the clinical care and supervision of patients seen in the clinic.
To undertake highly specialist clinical activity requiring extensive knowledge, experience and expertise in management that includes a high proportion of tertiary referrals.
To have overall responsibility of the clinical supervision of clinical staff; To supervise all patient examinations carried out by the support/resident/placement/new to clinic Optometrist unless/until such time that the support/resident/new to clinic
To provide expert opinion to optometric and non-optometric colleagues on the management of complex cases within the designated Clinics and the Optometry Department.
Working for our organisation

At Moorfields, we provide more than just an excellent career and great colleagues to work with. We also offer:

Salary including High-Cost Area Supplement
Opportunity to join the NHS Pension Scheme
Free 24/7 independent counselling service
Learning and development opportunities
Easy and quick transport links
A range of attractive benefits and discounts
Access to Blue Light Card and other NHS Discount Schemes
Free Pilates classes
Full support and training to develop your skills
Flexible working friendly organisation

And so much more! To see the full range of benefits we offer please see our Moorfields benefits document.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

To deliver highly specialist clinical patient care requiring extensive knowledge, experience and expertise in management that includes a high proportion of tertiary referrals. This activity requires regular use of a wide range of advanced clinical techniques requiring dexterity, precision and intense concentration; and the judgement, analysis and interpretation of the complex clinical findings with a range of management options.
Patient examinations will be comprehensive and commensurate with clinical experience beyond Masters Level (i.e. College of Optometrists Diploma in Glaucoma, College of Optometrists Diploma in Independent Prescribing). Skills and knowledge are commensurate with those of sub‑specialty medical ophthalmology staff.
To make independent, patient‑centred clinical decisions on management in the presence of uncertainty (for example where patients are unable to cooperate fully in clinical assessments or the evidence for management options is unclear).
To be autonomously responsible for medical treatment (including prescribing) and management of patients. To recognise when patient clinical findings require Consultant Ophthalmic opinions (eg regarding surgery). To refer patients with ocular comorbidity to other ophthalmological services appropriately.
As Clinic Lead in Optometrist, to supervise all patient examinations carried out by the support/resident/placement/new to clinic Optometrist unless/until such time that the support/resident/new to clinic Optometrist has attained the appropriate College of Optometrists certificate or completed their competency sign off. To review all prescribing decisions unless the prescribing optometrist has the correct qualifications together with The College of Optometrists Diploma in Independent Prescribing and their scope of practice /area of prescribing is in that service.
To organise the session by reviewing all clinical records at the start of an Optometrist‑led clinic to determine necessary additional clinical tests (eg: visual fields, imaging, auto‑refraction) utilising the different staff groups efficiently (admin, technical, optometric).
To provide expert opinion to optometric and non-optometric colleagues on the management of complex cases within the designated Clinics and the Optometry Department.
To undertake a comprehensive range of complex optometry services at Moorfields and out‑reach clinics. These include refraction (complex, diagnostic and paediatric), low vision clinics (paediatric, complex, employment). The post holder maintains a personal clinical workload within these services.
To refer patients for appropriate appliances (contact lenses, spectacles, low vision aids) and provide appropriate advice to patients on needs, treatment and corrective aids.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

BSc (Hons) Optometry
Specialist College of Optometrist Prof Cert Qualifications

Desirable criteria

Specialist College of Optometrist Prof Cert Qualifications
Specialist College of Optometrist Higher Qualifications
Specialist College of Optometrist Diploma in Independent Prescribing
MSc/PhD in Optometry/Ophthalmology

Professional Registration

Essential criteria

General Optical Council Registration

Experience

Essential criteria

Post‑qualification Hospital experience > 5 years
Hospital extended role experience >3 years
Experience of examining vulnerable groups of patients e.g. CYP / additional needs
Experience with clinical teaching
Experience with supervision of junior staff
Experience in audit

Desirable criteria

Experience with line management and appraisal
Experience in research
Experience of dealing with quality and safety issues e.g. complaints, incidents, risk assessment
Experience of formal undergraduate/postgraduate teaching
Experience of presenting at national and international meetings and conferences
Experience of writing protocols, competencies and Standard Operating Procedures

Skills

Essential criteria

Competent use of a slit‑lamp to examine the anterior and posterior eye with specialist lenses
Competent performance of retinoscopy
Ability to analyse and interpret ocular imaging e.g. OCT, visual fields, topography to an expert clinical level e.g diagnosis and formulate management plans

Desirable criteria

Ability to write detailed clinical summaries
Excellent interpersonal skills highlighting the complexity of multidisciplinary team working, in challenging work environments, and the overall needs of the service multidisciplinary working
Advanced planning and organisational skills
Ability to sensitively manage staff and patients with respect to their emotional well being
Expertly and effectively communicate sensitive and complex information in a range of situations e.g. clinical information to patients, unwelcome & bad news, or where there may be barriers to understanding e.g. patients with additional needs and other sensory impairments.
Ability to identify service improvement needs and innovate solutions

Due to the nature of this position, employment is subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK, completion of a satisfactory DBS disclosure and two references. We do not offer visa sponsorship for roles unless clearly stated in our adverts, so please consider this before applying.
Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of our organisational culture. As part of our pledge to take positive action in recruitment we encourage applications from under‑represented candidates including BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) and Disabled candidates as we work towards a representative workforce that is able to provide the quality, the dignity and respect and to deliver above and beyond.
Moorfields is a flexible working friendly organisation, and we are committed to helping our employees achieve a work‑life balance that is beneficial for health and wellbeing, motivation levels and job satisfaction. Every employee of the Trust has the right to request to work flexibly. Please speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
If we receive sufficient applications, we will close this ad prior to the closing date. You are advised not to delay submitting your completed application.
If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying or would like an accessible version of any recruitment documents, please contact the recruitment team at moorfields.recruitment@nhs.net.
Moorfields Eye Hospital does not charge applicants any recruitment or sponsorship fees. Our website and published contact details are the only authorised channels for applications and verification of job offers.
https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/work-for-us

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

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.

Documents to download