Specialist Orthoptist

Transformation Unit; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Part time

Job summary

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Specialist Orthoptist to join the department on a fixed-term contract covering maternity leave. The post is 2 days per week (15 hours) and will provide high-level orthoptic assessments across specialties, with involvement in teaching and audit.

Applicants should have Orthoptics qualification and HCPC registration, and be able to work across ophthalmology, neurology, and related services.

Job description

Main area Orthoptist Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Fixed term: 12 months (12 months, 2 day per week. All existing NHS staff will only be considered on a secondment basis.) Hours Part time - 15 hours per week (2 days per week. All existing NHS staff will only be considered on a secondment basis.) Job ref 190-2043-DIR

Employer Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal Hallamshire Hospital Town Sheffield Salary £39,959 - £48,117 pa/pro rata for part time staff Salary period Yearly Closing 06/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 15/10/2026

Specialist Orthoptist

NHS AfC: Band 6

We are committed to helping our staff balance their work and home lives and ensure they feel supported, valued and appreciated so whilst you care for our patients and clients, we’ll take care of you. We offer many different ways of helping staff including career development opportunities, flexible working, good annual leave and pension schemes , health and wellbeing packages and financial support systems. Joining the Trust also allows you access to a number of saving options via our salary sacrifice schemes and a wide range of discount opportunities with retailers and service providers.

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for a Specialist Orthoptist to join our department on a temporary contract of 2 days per week, to cover maternity leave.

The post holder will provide highly specialised Orthoptic service(s) to patients of all ages from a range of specialities suffering from a wide variety of medical disorders including tertiary referrals from Ophthalmology, Neurology, Maxillofacial Unit, Endocrinology, Oncology, Stroke Unit and Emergency Eye Centre. Will participate in the provision of Goldmann and Octopus visual field assessment, also assess patients referred to the Low Vision Service and Orthoptic TBI service. You will undertake clinical teaching and assessment of undergraduate orthoptic students.

Main duties of the job

To be legally and professionally responsible and accountable for the orthoptic investigation, diagnosis and management of new and follow-up patients referred to the Orthoptic Department from various departments including ophthalmology, paediatrics, the Emergency Eye Centre (EEC), accident and emergency, maxillo-facial, and neurology.

This patient group comprises all cases of ocular motility defects and amblyopia (reduced vision with no pathological cause), anomalies of binocular single vision (ability to use the eyes together), complex congenital and acquired cases including neurological abnormalities, genetic disorders and associated ocular abnormalities.

To be responsible for the evaluation of visual acuity and visual behaviour in referrals from the specialist services, including non-seeing babies, infants with strabismus (squint) and amblyopia, congenital or developmental abnormalities, adult illiterates, and children and adults with significant learning difficulties.

To formulate and implement individualised management and treatment plans using advanced clinical reasoning and a wide range of treatment skills, communicating these effectively with patients (adults and children), parents, and carers and to gain informed consent to those treatment plans.

Working for our organisation

You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its staff. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.

When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Orthoptics BMedSci OR BSc (Hons) Orthoptics OR Orthoptics BSc (Hons) OR Diploma from British Orthoptic Council (DBO)
• To be registered with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Medical exemptions for Orthoptists
• Member of the British & Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS)

Knowledge and Experience

• To have sufficient relevant experience in all aspects of clinical Orthoptics, especially in strabismus and complex ocular motility clinics, with evidence of continuing professional development maintained in a portfolio
• Experience of clinical teaching of Orthoptics.
• Evidence of on-going commitment to continuing professional development following BIOS/HCPC guidelines.
• Visual field examination and interpretation
• Experience of clinical teaching of Orthoptics.
• Skilled in use of slit lamp, optic disc imaging and interpretation of visual fields results, or other ophthalmic investigated usually carried out by specialist medical staff
• Experience of research and development activities
• Experience undertaking and presenting audit

Communication Skills

• Good verbal and written communication skills with adults, carers, parents and children, students and all staff disciplines.
• Evidence of working successfully as part of a multidisciplinary team and independently.
• Ability to produce written reports.
• To be approachable and maintain an excellent rapport with colleagues

Personal Attributes

• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills; ability to communicate complex, sensitive and potentially conflicting information to patients and other stakeholders in an appropriate manner independent of their level of understanding
• Leadership, organisational and negotiating skills
• Ability to use initiative and quickly interpret complex and potentially conflicting clinical information
• Capable of performing sustained high intensity work in a pressurised clinical environment
• Skills of persuasion
• Possesses precise, fine-motor physical examination skills
• Works well autonomously
• Self-motivated

Please note that in order to comply with the UK Government’s rules on Skilled Worker sponsorship, any applicants who do not meet the eligibility requirements or concessions on salary thresholds under the Skilled Worker visa will not be eligible to receive sponsorship from the Trust. Please keep this in mind when submitting your application. Further details on these concessions, and who qualifies for them, can be found here .

The Trust is committed to its obligations in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, and we positively encourage applications from all sections of the community.

Job Share applicants are welcome for all full time posts unless indicated but cannot be guaranteed. In addition for Fixed Term Contracts, internal secondments may be considered.

All employment with the Trust is subject to a number of NHS Employment Checks being met to a satisfactory standard including verification of identity, eligibility to work in the United Kingdom, references and qualifications in addition to professional registration, a disclosure and barring records check and occupational health check if these are deemed to be a requirement for the position to be undertaken.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.