ESSENTIAL SKILLS:

• Previous experience within optical or healthcare environment
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills
• Ability to absorb and convey highly technical information
• Adaptable with a flexible approach to work
• Excellent time management skills and ability to prioritise tasks
• A confident and professional individual who has fantastic organisational skills
• Professional telephone manner
• Demonstrate confidentiality, integrity and discretion

Following appropriate training, supervised practice and competency achievement assessments, you will be able to undertake the role of Healthcare Assistant (HCA) within the surgery team in ophthalmic (IOL) theatres. You will also be responsible for the following:

• Pre-operative testing; conducting tests prior to examination and treatment and assisting during the consent appointment process, including providing information to patients prior to their Cataract procedure.
• Patient discharging; instructing the patient pre and post procedure on the care of the eyes, updating medical records, making follow up appointments.
• Co-ordinating: Controlling patient flow on the day of the consent appointment and surgery appointments to ensure minimum waiting times for patients and managing queries.
• Assisting the surgeon during consent appointments and treatments – acting as scrub assistant, taking notes for the surgeon; instilling eye drops.
• Undertaking the role of HCA in IOL theatre to assist the surgical team and patients during surgery and associated tasks such as decontamination of instruments.
• Actively participating in the end of treatment day activities; updating patient files, filing, compiling ‘end of day’ reports for head office, cleaning the department, stock and lens ordering.
• Reporting untoward incidents – taking an active role in patient safety issues and quality and risk management.