Vacancies, Watford Contact Details And FODO News

20 April 2022

We have 5 items for you today:

1. Optom Vacancy – Diabetic Screening (Part Time)
   West Herts Diabetic Eye Screening Programme are looking for slit lamp graders who could possibly do a couple of sessions per week to help them increase the capacity for patients where images were unassessable (perhaps due to cataracts/asteroid hyalosis, etc).
    
   If there are any optometrists who may be interested to be a part of their team, please contact sadhana.kulkarni1@nhs.net for further details or an informal chat.
    
   It may be that initially they do the process with NHSP, or perhaps look to making you a permanent member of the team if you wish to carry on long term.
    
   For further information, please see the following links:
    
   https://www.hct.nhs.uk/our-services/digital-retinal-screening-service/
    
   https://www.nhsprofessionals.nhs.uk/

   NHS Professionals provides temporary clinical and non-clinical staff to the NHS. It has a national and international membership base of approximately 180,000 healthcare professionals, known as ‘Bank Members’. They work flexible shifts and longer-term placements at more than 50 NHS Trusts.
    

2. Paediatric Optometrist Vacancy – Part Time – West Herts
   
   The Community Eye Service in West Hertfordshire  are seeking a part time (1 day a week), experienced optometrist. They say :

   Applications are invited from motivated optometrists to take on paediatric optometry clinics for the Community Eye Service in West Hertfordshire (clinics in St Albans and Hemel Hempstead),  consisting of four Orthoptists and two optometrists. This is an excellent opportunity to develop skills in paediatric optometry working alongside orthoptists and supported by an experienced paediatric optometrist. It could be a professional development role. 

   Candidates will have a BSc or equivalent in Optometry and evidence of CPD, will be GOC registered with a minimum of 3 years post registration experience. Previous experience of hospital paediatric optometry is beneficial but not essential. A working knowledge of paediatric management and good communication skills with children and their parents is essential.  You will need sound clinical skills and the ability to work as part of a team..

   For informal enquiries please contact Catherine Stewart or Judy Bee (co-Clinical Leads for the Children’s Eye Service) via e-mail: catherine.stewart22@nhs.net or Judy.bee1@nhs.net

   Further details can be found HERE.

3. Contact Details for Watford General (West Herts NHS Trust)
   
   We have been advised of a change to number for the Ophthalmology dept, which is now 01923 436887

   They advise: “Lines are open from 9am till 4.30pm, Monday to Friday excluding Bank Holidays and weekends. If you are a referring practitioner, calling out of hours, please note that your referral will not be triaged by the team until the next working day. If the patient requires urgent attention, please ask them to attend A & E. On receipt of a referral, it can take up to 24hours for the team to contact the patient to arrange an appointment.”

   Calling within their working hours will give you the following options:

   • Medical secretary at Watford
   • Medical secretary at St Albans
   • Intravitreal macula service co-ordinator
   • Clinical advice team
   • Urgent eye team
   • Patient initiated follow-up (PIFU) team
   • Admissions team
4. Updated Referral Contacts List
   Further to the above, we have updated the Referral Contacts list on our website, HERE, which can also be downloaded, HERE, if you prefer to print it.
5. FODO News
   From April 8th is HERE, including GOC consultation on the Opticians Act, PPE portal: how to order Covid-19 personal protective equipment and supporting colleagues during Ramadan. Today’s edition is HERE, including mobile cataract units set up in England, diabetic eye screening in England: approved cameras and settings, and a correction to the GOC consultation.

Kind regards

Herts LOC