Ophthalmology Locally Employed Doctor ST3+ Level

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is situated on the west coast of Lancashire, with services covering the local authority areas of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. The Trust is part of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS) supporting a population of around 1.6 million people. We have three main hospitals providing acute services to around 330,000 local residents. The organisation also provides specialist tertiary care for cardiac and haematology services, delivers community health services to over 445,000 residents including those in North Lancashire and hosts the National Artificial Eye Service across England. Plus, we provide urgent and emergency care services to an estimated 18 million people who visit the seaside resort each year. We employ over 7000 people from 68 different countries.

We welcome and encourage applications from anyone with protected characteristics, as well as supporting reservists and Veterans who are looking for a rewarding and challenging career within the NHS. Blackpool Teaching Hospitals encourages flexible working in all our roles to support staff in maintaining a healthy home-life balance. Working patterns such as part-time working, self-rostering, compressed hours, annualised hours, term time, reverse term time and flexitime working can be explored.

An excellent opportunity has arisen to join our expanding patient-centred and supportive Ophthalmology department at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This is an exciting time to join us with the opportunity to support inpatient and outpatient transformation as part of a blended workforce as we develop our surgical, outpatient and macular pathways.

The clinical commitments of this post will include direct clinical care in ophthalmic across both general and specialist pathways for inpatient and outpatient care at Blackpool Victoria Hospital (BVH). The outpatient work will be conducted at BVH in a dedicated ophthalmic suite in the main outpatient department and within the Ophthalmic Surgical Unit and Medical Retina Unit. Our Ophthalmology service has a team of 8 Consultants (including vacancies), 6 specialty doctors and 4 speciality trainees. This role will require the delivery of face-to-face onsite clinical sessions and the provision of assessment and management of a range of Ophthalmology conditions. Educate patients and their families on conditions, treatment options, and post-operative care. Stay current with advancements in Ophthalmology treatments, technologies, and best practices. This post includes a commitment to a 1/8 first on-call rota and delivers in-hours casualty clinics to support the Blackpool Ophthalmic emergency service.

Main duties of the job include:

• The timetable for this role includes outpatient clinics, opportunities for theatre sessions with consultant supervision, ward supervision of the more junior team.
• To ensure safe management of patients within the ophthalmic directorate.
• To participate in outpatient clinics, medical retina (AMD, DMO, Intravitreal Injections) and support the emergency ophthalmic service via casualty clinics, ward reviews and out-of-hours provision.
• To actively support the team in providing timely care and management of patients.
• The post holder will be expected to support work within the wider department on transformation, clinical audit & improvement and service improvement, working under the leadership and support of the department’s consultants.

Management of patients within the ophthalmic directorate includes supporting in theatres and carrying out outpatient clinics. The on-call would be part of the first on-call rota, 1:8 non-resident, with the OSTs and other Specialty doctors. The successful applicant will undertake such reasonable alternative patterns of duty as may from time to time be required to conform with exigencies of the service. The successful applicant will undertake such exceptional irregular commitments outside normally rostered duties as are essential for continuity of patient care. The postholder will be required to maintain their knowledge and skills. Study leave provision will be available to the post holder. To participate in the training of Junior Medical Staff and Medical Students. The post holder will be expected to undertake an annual appraisal by their respective Consultant. Post holders with Research Interests and sub-specialty training/experience will be actively encouraged.

Person specification

• Education and Qualification: Full registration with the GMC, FRCOphth Part 1 by offer date, successful completion of Internal Medicine Stage 1 training, evidence of achievement of ST1 competences in Ophthalmology at the time of application and ST2 competences in Ophthalmology.
• Experience and Knowledge: Experience of delivering rapid access casualty/emergency clinics and out-of-hours on-call service in a busy acute setting. Experience teaching undergraduates and/or postgraduates with demonstration of effective teaching skills. Previous experience of working in the NHS / experience of NHS working practices and systems. Experience in undertaking Ophthalmology related quality improvements and/or research with publication in peer-reviewed journals. Experience in service development and improvement in Ophthalmology.
• Skills and ability: Leadership skills - ability to take responsibility, show leadership and make decisions. Enthusiasm and commitment to Ophthalmology. Ability to organise and prioritise workload and to delegate responsibility and supervise staff.

By submitting an application for this vacancy you are confirming your agreement to the above in the event you are successfully appointed. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here. Please ensure that you read the Person Specification attached below as your application will be judged against this. Please note that every effort will be made to keep the vacancy live until the published closing date, though there may be instances where such interest is generated, that for administrative reasons the post may close earlier. Please note that in line with national NHS guidelines this Trust operates a strict non-smoking policy. Members of staff are not permitted to smoke on Trust premises or grounds at any time nor take breaks during working hours for the purposes of smoking. The Trust does not offer interview expenses to shortlisted candidates unless indicated in the advert.