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Band 8a – Advanced Practitioner, Ophthalmology
Band 8a
Main area Ophthalmology Grade Band 8a Contract Permanent Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
37.5 hours per week Job ref 360-B-11408-A
Department name West Herts – General Staffing Site Watford General Hospital Town Watford Salary £59,798 – £67,020 pa inc. HCA Salary period Yearly Closing 12/08/2026 23:59
Job overview
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.
Working for our organisation
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. They capture an important balance across what we must all do as individuals and to support others.
If you are a Service Leaver, Veteran, Military Reserve, Cadet Force Adult Volunteer, or partner/spouse of those serving please tick “Member of the Armed Forces Community” on the application form.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
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.
Person specification
Education and qualifications
- Registered with relevant professional body
- MSc in advanced Practice
- Teaching & Assessing Qualification
- Non – Medical prescriber
- Leadership course ALS.
Knowledge
- 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 operationalise strategies
Experience
- 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.
West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust provides acute healthcare services to a core catchment population of approximately half a million people living in west Hertfordshire and the surrounding area. The Trust also provides a range of more specialist services to a wider population, serving residents of North London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and East Hertfordshire.
As an employer of nearly 6,000 people the Trust is one of the biggest employers in the area and sees nearly a million patients each year.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Application numbers
This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.
Name Alison East Job title Associate Director of Nursing Surgery Email address alisoneast@nhs.net Telephone number 07771500781
If you have problems applying, contact
Address Watford General HospitalVicarage RoadWatfordHertfordshireWD18 0HBTelephone 01442 365234
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