Band 8a - Advanced Practitioner, Ophthalmology

Overview

Band 8a - Advanced Practitioner in Ophthalmology in the Urgent Eye Service at Watford General Hospital. This senior role combines advanced autonomous clinical practice with leadership and service development to deliver 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. You should be an experienced clinician with advanced ophthalmic skills, strong leadership capability, and a passion for innovation and quality improvement.

You should be confident working autonomously, committed to excellent patient outcomes, and able to inspire and support others.

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

• 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.

• Provide leadership, support, and development for nursing and practitioner teams.
• Contribute to service improvement, quality assurance, and clinical governance.
• Lead on education, training, audit, and implementation of evidence-based practice.

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

• 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.
• Ability to ope rationalise strategies

• Broad senior clinical and managerial experience relevant to the post.
• Success in working collaboratively.
• Cross professions and services
• Demonstrable success in managing change.
• Experience with the introduction of evidence-based practice.
• Project management.
• Experience obtained in more than one clinical setting.
• Research 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.