Trainee Retinal Screener Grader

Job description

Job responsibilities

Learning responsibilities

• Enrol onto and undertake the Level 3 Diploma for Health Screeners qualification.
• Engage with trainers and assessors to review own learning and create and update personal development plans.
• Take responsibility for own learning, ensuing that units are completed and submitted in a timely fashion, in accordance with agreed learning plan.

Clinical Duties and Responsibilities

• Greet patients courteously and explain the screening process from assessment to reporting of results;
• work constructively with colleagues to ensure clinics operate smoothly;
• confirm and update patient demographics on the patients screening record;
• once trained and qualified, instil mydriatic eye drops into the patients eyes, in line with appropriate protocols, recording this information on the IT system;
• to learn to use the retinal camera to gain good quality anterior and peripheral images of patients eyes where appropriate;
• capture digital retinal images of patients eyes using retinal screening cameras available at the different screening sites;
• to learn to grade retinal images to secondary level, making an assessment of the level of disease in line with local grading protocol;
• to learn to identify and refer significant non diabetic related pathology;
• to learn to ensure R3 (proliferative diabetic retinopathy) is appropriately fast tracked through the grading pathway and to ophthalmology;
• refer any issues preventing patients being screened on that day to the administration team so that they can rearrange appointments and record this in the patient notes;
• ensure the daily clinic list is kept up to date;
• deal with any telephone and drop in enquires, providing information to patients and colleagues that is commensurate with training and referring any clinical queries to the team leader or clinical lead;
• to learn to adjust the camera settings appropriately, and troubleshoot any camera/hardware issues that arise before reporting any problems up the line;
• to learn to use the IT system, finding patients, adding new patients, updating patients and archiving patients in line with screening and administration policies and local training

Communication Duties and Responsibilities

• Act professionally and courteously at all times to patients and colleagues;
• Explain to patients and professional colleagues, the screening process and the importance of eye screening in detecting sight threat-threatening disease;
• Explain to patients how their images will be assessed following their attendance and when they should expect to receive their results;
• To report any complaints or issues that arise to the team leader or deputy programme manager as appropriate.

We have a large integrated team comprising of Screener Graders at three levels of competency, qualified specialist Optometrists, administrators and failsafe officers. The service is led by a dedicated management team and Consultant Ophthalmologist.

The team meet regularly for multidisciplinary meetings, shared learning, practical training and professional development.

Person Specification

Skills

• Excellent concentration and attention to detail
• Friendly, enthusiastic and professional approach
• Excellent written and verbal communication

Experience

• Experience of working within a team and to effectively liaise with people at all levels
• Experience with personal computers and databases
• Experience of working flexibly and independently
• Experience of making analytical and judgemental decisions

• Experience of working within a clinical environment

Knowledge / Qualifications

• Good standard of general education, 5 GCSES A-C or equivalent

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.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Cross-site

London

SE18 2SB

https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/careers/careers.aspx