Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity to appoint an Ophthalmology Research Fellow for a full time (shared) post based at Southampton General Hospital and Salisbury District Hospital. The Fellow would be expected to have commitments in both the hospitals. The timetable would be tailored to reflect the Fellow’s Personal Development Plan and career aspirations.

This post would both suit an enthusiastic Doctor at entry level or a middle level trainee who wishes to develop a special interest in Medical Retina or a doctor working through the CESR route. 

Previous Ophthalmology experience is desirable. They would gain further experience in research methodology and processes by working with an experienced clinical trials group at Southampton on Fridays. The rest of their time will be based in Salisbury. They will be fully supported to enhance their clinical skills. Further training in Minor Surgery, Laser and phacoemulsification is possible in future. They will also support and boost the recruitment drive at Salisbury.

A commitment to audit, appraisal, teaching, clinical governance is expected. The successful candidate will be encouraged to participate in weekly teaching sessions in Salisbury and Southampton. They will be encouraged to publish papers and present in regional, national and international conferences. 

Main duties of the job

This full-time research post is jointly based at Southampton General Hospital and Salisbury District Hospital, with a 1:6 on-call commitment and some ENT cross-cover at Salisbury (training provided as needed). The role covers three key domains: research skills, generic professional skills, and specialty clinical skills. The Research Fellow will divide their time between both sites, attending Research Clinics and working with the experienced clinical trials team in Southampton on Wednesdays, and undertaking the remainder of their clinical and research duties in Salisbury. The timetable will be tailored to the Fellow’s experience, qualifications, and Personal Development Plan. Key responsibilities include supporting and expanding recruitment to clinical trials, broadening the research portfolio—particularly at Salisbury—and contributing to NIHR activities, including attending research fellow events and providing annual progress reports. The Fellow will be encouraged to publish research, present at conferences, and support the regional teaching programme by promoting CRN Wessex research activities. Clinically, the Fellow will help develop new pathways within the evolving Salisbury Eye Unit, contributing to quality improvement and collaborative service development across both hospitals. Working across these diverse environments, the Fellow will enhance their clinical aptitude, gain deeper insight into patient pathways, and integrate research with service improvement.

Working for our organisation

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust (SFT) is an innovative hospital with a proud heritage and over 250 years of experience behind us. Here we’re driven to deliver an outstanding experience for everyone and have been well regarded for the quality of care and treatment we continue to provide for our patients and also our staff.

We are an acute Trust, rated “Good” by the CQC, with a track record of high performance providing regional and super regional specialist services such as: Burns, Plastics & Reconstructive Surgery, Wessex Regional Genetics Laboratory, Wessex Rehabilitation, Spires Cleft Centre and the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre. We have about 470 beds and employ over 4000 staff.

We support flexible working and will consider requests taking into account the needs of the service.  We think working here is pretty rewarding.  You can access a range of NHS discounts, receive a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme. On-site benefits include car parking (fee applies), leisure centre, day nursery and holiday play scheme. 

Salisbury is an attractive place to live and work and really gives you the best of everything.  With easy access to London and local airports, the city of Southampton is only a short train or car journey away or if you prefer the sea, Bournemouth is also accessible.  Don’t just take our word for it, why not explore what Salisbury has to offer by visiting www.experiencesalisbury.co.uk