Job summary
- Main area
- Division D-Orthoptics
- Grade
- Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 180-D-254138-RE
- Employer
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Addenbrookes Hospital-Division D
- Town
- Cambridge
- Salary
- £24,937 - £26,598 p.a. pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 09/10/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 23/10/2025
Employer heading
Ophthalmic Technician
Band 3
Job overview
To deliver an ophthalmic diagnostic service, for children and adults, within the department of Ophthalmology. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide appropriate assessment (and interpretation of results where indicated) for ophthalmology patients.
Manage own caseload of patients prioritising when necessary and accepting urgent referrals as appropriate. To ensure that patients are received in a sympathetic and courteous manner and that cultural difference is catered for. To undertake associated clerical and administrative duties necessary to ensure the effective running of the Ophthalmology Service.
Some sessions will be required at the community clinics at Anglia Ruskin University and Saffron Walden Hospital.
Main duties of the job
Key duties and responsibilities:
Patient Care
Carry out Ophthalmic Diagnostic tests accurately and record results as required.
Vision assessments using appropriate tests, including colour vision.
Visual Field Perimetry, (Humphrey field analyser, Octopus perimeter)
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
Auto-refraction.
Focimetry.
Show an interest in the anatomy and physiology of the eye. Have an understanding of common ophthalmic conditions.
Demonstrate effective communication skills to ensure adequate patient understanding and compliance of the test.
Have good communication skills and understanding of needs to be overcome e.g. hearing loss or impaired cognitive ability.
Some patients have disabilities and/or visual impairment and many are elderly.
To conduct all assessments ensuring accurate testing and identification of unreliability and artefacts. To have an understanding of how these tests are interpreted.
To measure the patients’ spectacle correction using a focimeter and use this information to select the correct lenses required for accurate testing.
Working for our organisation
Our Trust
Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people – patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing ‘outstanding’ care to our patients and rated ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH’s values – Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent – are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.
CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people’s age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:
- applied for a Graduate visa
- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment
- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employment
For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.
This vacancy will close at midnight on 9th October 2025
Interviews are due to be held week commencing 23nd October 2025
Benefits to you
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- 1. Literacy and Numeracy (level 2) and complete values and behaviours assessment
- 2. 4 GCSEs or equivalent including maths and English
Desirable criteria
- 1. NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in health related subject
- 2. Diploma Level 2/3 in Care/Health or other relevant qualification
- 3. Working towards foundation degree or equivalent
Experience
Essential criteria
- 1. Experience of customer service or patient care
Desirable criteria
- 1. Experience within an Ophthalmology/Optometry setting
- 2. Proven clinical practice within an acute setting e.g. as a Health Care Assistant
- 3. Assisting with surgical procedures or Clinical work
- 4. Experience in working with vulnerable people
- 5. Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- 1. Understands the importance of respect /6Cs in the NHS
- 2. Understands the importance of maintaining confidentiality
- 3. Recognises the extent & limitations of own and others competence
- 4. Use own initiative, recognising when to escalate concerns to senior staff
- 5. Understands the importance of consistently providing individualised care based on current research and evidence
- 6. Demonstrates awareness of the needs of area specific patient group
- 7. Understands the anxiety and distress of some patients & relatives
- 8. Basic knowledge of anatomy & physiology.
Desirable criteria
- 1. Awareness of National and local priorities and initiatives.
- 2. Knowledge of general medical/ophthalmic conditions, equipment and techniques
Skills
Essential criteria
- 1. Well-developed verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills.
- 2. Respects patient dignity, wishes and beliefs demonstrating behaviours that are caring and compassionate
- 3. Ability to demonstrate empathy and caring attitude towards others.
- 4. Ability to promote best practice
- 5. Support new colleagues and assists them to meet their Performance Standards
- 6. Work as an effective and responsible member of the multidisciplinary team
- 7. Ability to identify a need for and negotiate changes in practice within the team
- 8. Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise a demanding workload in order to provide quality care to patient
- 9. IT skills
Desirable criteria
- 1. Able to use the Trust’s electronic patient record (EPIC)
- 2. Prepared to undertake recognised mentoring /coaching role.
- 3. Reflective practitioner
Additional Requirements
Essential criteria
- The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
Desirable criteria
- 1. Prior experience of training and inducting colleagues and assisting them to meet their Performance Standards
- 2. Receptive to advice
- 3. Driving license and access to a car
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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Applicant requirements
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Helen Newman
- Job title
- Ophthalmic Technician Coordinator
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01223 216855
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