Head Orthoptist: Sponsorship Available

Isle of Wight NHS Trust

Job summary

Calling all Orthoptists!

Band 8a: £53,755 – £60,504 pro rata, per annum

The Isle of Wight Orthoptic department is looking for an experienced Orthoptist to lead our service with the exciting opportunity to also develop into a variety of extended roles. Our friendly team provides fully comprehensive ophthalmic services to the residents of the Isle of Wight.

Although small, our orthoptic department is busy covering paediatric and adult strabismus cases. There is a wide diversity of squints and many interesting and complex cases.

While your primary focus will be on orthoptics, you will have the flexibility and autonomy to shape the role according to your professional interests. As a small team, we are committed to supporting your development and can offer dedicated time and financial resources to facilitate your growth and advancement. We will also provide a recruitment and retention premium as well as a generous relocation allowance of up to £10,000, subject to Trust policy, to help finance your move.

Moving to the island will be one of the best decisions you make and we look forward to meeting you in the near future.

Main duties of the job

The Isle of Wight may seem a distant island but lying only four miles from the southern coast of England and with excellent transport links to the mainland it is merely a hop away with the shortest crossing taking only 10 minutes.

The island, as it is known by its residents, was designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty in 1963 and more recently as a UNESCO Biosphere in 2019. With more sunshine hours than anywhere in the UK and bordered with 57 miles of stunning coastline including over 25 beaches the island is a playground for water sports enthusiasts, sailors and beach lovers. Aside from the coast there are over 500 miles of footpaths taking you through stunning countryside. There are also over 50 attractions all within easy reach along with many festivals and carnivals throughout the year and a plethora of restaurants and eateries.

Person Specification

Qualifications and role specific knowledge

Essential

  • Diploma or undergraduate degree in orthoptics
  • Extensive clinical experience
  • Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

  • Masters qualification or specialist postgraduate training
  • Experience in service improvement
  • Leadership qualification
  • Research/ Publications/ Presentations experience

Physical Skills

Essential

  • Ability to operate the full range of orthoptic equipment within the service
  • Dexterity to accurately perform relevant examinations

Desirable

  • Ability to train others on orthoptic equipment

Abilities and Aptitudes

Essential

  • Ability to prioritise clinical workload and respond calmly and logically
  • Ability to gain the confidence of children, families, and adults
  • Good therapeutic skills including empathy, active listening and understanding of therapeutic boundaries

Desirable

  • Ability to adapt the service to changing needs and demands
  • Supportive of the development of other members of staff
  • Sympathetic, friendly, caring and enthusiastic

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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 (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Closing Date: 30 August 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.