Trust: Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Band/Salary: Band 8b: £66,582 – £77,368 per annum, pro rata

Employment Type: Permanent

Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week, over 4 days

Closing date: 30/04/2026

Job description:

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Head Orthoptist to lead and manage all orthoptic services across North Devon, delivering care across both acute hospital and community settings. This senior role provides clinical, professional and operational leadership, supporting the delivery of high quality, patient focused orthoptic services for the local population.

The Head Orthoptist is responsible and accountable to the Trust for the development, delivery, management and governance of all orthoptic clinical services, including the glaucoma monitoring service. The role also includes full oversight of the North Devon primary school vision screening programme for reception age children (4–5 years), ensuring services are delivered safely and in line with national and local standards.

As the Trust’s lead orthoptist, the post holder will act as a professional role model, providing expert clinical and professional leadership and advice across the orthoptic team and wider multidisciplinary workforce. The successful candidate will have extensive clinical experience, alongside a proactive and innovative approach, with strong communication and organisational skills to manage complex services effectively.

The role includes line management responsibility for a multidisciplinary team of approximately 18 staff, encompassing clinical, support and administrative roles, with responsibility for workforce planning, resource management, governance and quality assurance.

In addition, the Head Orthoptist will personally deliver specialist clinical services as an autonomous practitioner.

There are opportunities for extended roles in wet macular degeneration, glaucoma and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, as well as Botox injections for blepharospasm. The service works closely with Neurology, Maxillofacial and Stroke teams, contributing to integrated patient care pathways.

For further information please contact Sue Thorne on 01271 322469 / susanthorne@nhs.net

Please see NHS Jobs for Job description and job application.