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Job summary

Main area
Ophthalmology
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
Permanent: May be required to go to Newark
Hours
Part time - 30 hours per week (May be required to work occasional weekends / go to Newark Hospital)
Job ref
214-SRG-7727852
Employer
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
King's Mill Hospital
Town
Sutton in Ashfield
Salary
£47,810 - £54,710 per annum pro rata (may consider Annex 21 for right candidate)
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/02/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust logo

Ophthalmic Specialist Nurse

NHS AfC: Band 7

Thank you for your interest in this role, we would be delighted to welcome you to Sherwood Forest Hospitals.

Sherwood is nationally recognised as being an excellent place to work and deliver care. We are rightly proud of the 5,500 colleagues who work here and know that happy colleagues deliver better care.

Our teams work in a supportive, inclusive environment, which nurtures wellbeing and has opportunities for development and progression. We do not just care for our patients, we also care for you.

At Sherwood Forest Hospitals, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. As such, we particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, or Disabled. We believe that a diverse team better represents the communities we serve and brings a wealth of perspectives and experiences to our work.

Job overview

The Ophthalmic Nurse Specialist is a senior clinical practitioner within the Ophthalmology Department at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, delivering high-quality, patient-centred ophthalmic care across a range of settings. Working autonomously and as part of the multidisciplinary team, the post holder provides expert assessment, treatment and ongoing management of patients with ophthalmic conditions.

Reporting to the Elective Care Matron and supported by the Head of Nursing and Ophthalmology Consultants, the role includes leading nurse-led clinics such as intravitreal injection, triage and emergency clinics. The post holder independently manages a caseload, prioritises urgent cases, identifies abnormalities, prescribes within scope of practice, and escalates care appropriately.

The role involves providing clinical leadership, acting as a role model, and supporting staff through education, training and supervision. The post holder contributes to service development, audit, research, policy implementation and quality improvement in line with national guidance, professional standards and Trust policies.

A strong focus is placed on patient safety, education and experience, ensuring care is equitable, evidence-based and responsive to the needs of patients, carers and staff, while supporting continuous improvement and effective clinical governance within the Ophthalmology service.

Main duties of the job

To understand the role in more detail, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

Working for our organisation

We are an award-winning NHS Foundation Trust working alongside health and social care colleagues across the county to provide acute and community healthcare services to more than 420,000 people across Mansfield, Ashfield, Newark and Sherwood, and parts of Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.

We put the patient at the heart of everything that we do and it is our aim to make sure that every patient is treated as we would want a member of our own family to be treated. At the same time, we expect our staff to be caring, kind and courteous to each other and to look out for each other. We believe that we are truly a clinically-led organisation.

We are proud that our Trust colleagues have voted us the best acute Trust to work for in the East Midlands for seven years running in the National NHS Staff Survey, while the Care Quality Commission has rated our Trust as ‘outstanding’ for care and our King’s Mill Hospital as the only ‘outstanding’ NHS-run hospital in the East Midlands.

Not all of our roles are eligible for visa sponsorship. To find out which roles are eligible, please refer to the shortage occupation list found here:

Skilled Worker visa: eligible healthcare and education jobs - GOV.UK

Home Office guidance has changed as of 9th April. Anyone that requires switching visa type may not be eligible for sponsorship even if the role is on the shortage occupation list.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

Person specification

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Relevant job experience
  • Awareness of specific national and local issues
  • Good communication skills
  • Ability to recognise and treat for deterioration of the eye
  • Team player
  • Ability to manage case load
  • Written and verbal skills
  • Experience of nurse led triage
  • Previous Macular clinic experience
  • Intravitreal Injecting Experience
  • Clinically up to date
Desirable criteria
  • Previous Emergency skills experience

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • First level Registered Nurse
  • Evidence of continued practice / academic learning associated with speciality
  • Evidenced study of Ophthalmology nursing (Diploma/degree level or equivalent experience)
  • Nurse prescribing or willingness to undertake
  • Teaching and Assessing course
Desirable criteria
  • Masters in Nursing/Ophthalmology (or working towards)
  • Specialist Ophthalmology study

Further Training

Essential criteria
  • Slit lamp skills
  • Tomography skills
  • Tonometry Skills
  • Biometry Skills
  • Field interpretation skills
  • Awareness of Audit methodologies
  • Specific equipment training e.g. Optical coherence Tomography skills
Desirable criteria
  • Appraisal Training
  • Sickness absence training
  • Health roster awareness
  • Careflow awareness
  • Medisight/Medisoft experience
  • System one or equivalent training

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience in an acute NHS setting
  • In depth experience of Ophthalmology nursing
  • Clinical teaching
Desirable criteria
  • Writing White paper/ SOP’s/guidelines

Contractual Requirements

Essential criteria
  • Stereoscopic vision
  • Good professional conduct
  • Flexible
Desirable criteria
  • Managerial skills

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPathway to excellenceCare quality commission - GoodCarer Friendly Employer 2021Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare4NottsTime to changeFair Train Silver StandardStep into healthNational Preceptorship for Nursing Quality MarkArmed Forces Covenant

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Anne Kabia
Job title
Elective Care Matron
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07385468548
Additional information

Gill Lilley/ Sheila Taylor/ Colin Harriman/Yasmin Begum through Clinic 8 on 01623 622515 ext 6053/3351

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