Band 8a - Advanced Practitioner, Ophthalmology in Northampton

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Advanced Practitioner in Ophthalmology to join our Urgent Eye Service at Watford General Hospital. This senior role combines advanced autonomous clinical practice with leadership and service development, ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality, patient-centred care. You will independently assess, diagnose, treat, and manage patients while supporting and developing the wider team and shaping service improvements. We are looking for an experienced, dynamic clinician with advanced ophthalmic skills, strong leadership capability, and a passion for innovation and quality improvement. You should be confident working autonomously, committed to delivering excellent patient outcomes, and able to inspire and support others. In return, you will join a supportive, forward-thinking Trust with a strong focus on staff wellbeing, professional development, and delivering excellent patient care together. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real impact in a progressive and patient-focused ophthalmology service.

Full time 37.5hrs, Monday to Friday. Occasional weekend work may be required to meet the needs of the service.

Main duties of the job:

• Independently manage patients in emergency eye and nurse-led clinics, including triage, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and discharge.
• Undertake comprehensive ophthalmic assessments using specialist equipment (e.g., slit lamp, diagnostic lenses).
• Request and interpret investigations and prescribe medications as a non-medical prescriber.
• Act as an autonomous clinical expert and resource within ophthalmology.

About us:

With a new hospital planned for Watford, work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital and plans for a neighbourhood healthcare centre in Hemel Hempstead, this is an exciting time to join us. We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imagining models of care, working closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare. Staff wellbeing and development are a priority, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience. Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive.

Person Specification:

Education and qualifications:

• Essential: Registered with relevant professional body, MSc in advanced Practice, Teaching & Assessing Qualification, Non-Medical prescriber.
• Desirable: Leadership course ALS.

Knowledge:

• Essential: Clinical practice and demonstrable knowledge of developments in nursing policy & practice, good understanding of risk and clinical governance, the NHS plan and delivering making a difference, the importance of successful partnership working, lifelong learning, professional education and training, workforce planning, recruitment and retention.
• Desirable: Ability to operationalise strategies.

Experience:

• Essential: Significant experience managing ward/unit, broad senior clinical and managerial experience relevant to the post, success in working collaboratively across professions and services, demonstrable success in managing change, experience with the introduction of evidence-based practice, project management.
• Desirable: Experience obtained in more than one clinical setting, research experience, audit experience.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.