Senior Ophthalmic Theatre Practitioner

Senior Ophthalmic Theatre Practitioner

Who are we?

Newmedica are one of the leading providers of NHS ophthalmology services in England, providing outpatients appointments, diagnostic testing, and eye surgery. We aim to change lives through better sight and eye health.

We care for thousands of NHS and private patients a year in our specialist eye clinics across the country.

We are thrilled to say that following an independently conducted survey of Newmedica colleagues to tell us what it’s like to work here, we have been certified as a Great Place to Work for the third year running. The feedback has directly contributed to Newmedica being listed among the UK’s top

50 Best Workplaces for 2025.

Role overview

Are you an experienced ophthalmic scrub practitioner looking for a senior role where you can motivate, educate and influence best practice?

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Ophthalmic Theatre Practitioner to join our ophthalmic theatre team. We invite applications for both full‑time and part‑time working arrangements. Hours can be negotiated to meet the needs of the service and the successful candidate. This is a key role for an enthusiastic practitioner who is passionate about clinical excellence, patient safety, and staff development.

We typically undertake 18-22 cataract surgeries a day, as well as a range of other surgical procedures, so the ideal candidate will thrive when working in an efficient and fast paced environment.

You will provide expert scrub practice across a range of ophthalmic procedures while collaborating on audit, governance, medicines management, risk management, and service improvement. You will play a significant role in training and supporting junior staff, overseeing specialist ophthalmic equipment and instruments, and ensuring compliance with infection prevention, health and safety and clinical governance standards.

You’ll take responsibility for overseeing the correct use of specialist ophthalmic instruments and equipment, ensuring they are properly maintained and decontaminated. Collaboration is central to this role, and you’ll be actively involved in audits, incident investigations, and the management of any complaints, contributing to continuous improvement across the service.

You will play an important role in developing, reviewing, and implementing protocols, guidelines, and best‑practice standards. Maintaining excellence in infection control, waste management, risk management, and health and safety will also be a core part of your work, ensuring that our theatre environment remains safe and efficient.

As part of your governance responsibilities, you’ll disseminate medical alerts and help drive key clinical governance activities. You’ll maintain accurate patient records, evaluate service information, and contribute to ongoing quality assurance. In addition, you’ll support resuscitation preparedness and champion continuous professional development, both for yourself and the wider team.

Undergoing eye surgery can understandably be an unsettling experience for many individuals. It is therefore essential that our practitioners demonstrate empathy, approachability, and professionalism, ensuring that patients are reassured and made to feel as comfortable as possible throughout their time in theatre.

What skills and experience do I need?

You will be a registered healthcare professional either a Registered Nurse (with current NMC registration) or Operating Department Practitioner (with current HCPC registration) with extensive experience in ophthalmic scrub practice. You will have excellent communication skills and be committed to developing both people and services.

Alongside the mandatory qualifications the following things will be advantageous:

Experience as an advanced scrub practitioner for routine and complex high volume ophthalmic surgical procedures.

Knowledge and experience in Cataract, Vitreoretinal (VR), Glaucoma and Oculoplastic Surgery.

Knowledge of clinical practice and aware of current developments in Ophthalmology

Capable of working in a fast paced, high-volume theatre setting

Experience of supporting the surgeon during theatre – problem solving and issue resolution

The training and coaching of others

The desire for and commitment to continuous professional development

A competent user of computer systems and programmes

An excellent grasp of the English language both verbally and in written format

A good team player – happy to jump in and support others when required

What we’re offering

A challenging and rewarding senior clinical role

Opportunities for professional development and leadership growth

A supportive multidisciplinary team environment

The chance to shape and improve ophthalmic theatre services

A salary of up to £44,000 depending upon experience

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

A company pension scheme

Access to a range of benefits including free eye tests, discounted or free glasses, a free 24/7 well-being/counselling/advice service and a retail/technology discount scheme.

An environment where your learning and development is supported through a range of various learning tools and courses.

Collaborating with a friendly multi-disciplinary team enthusiastic about improving the lives of our patients.

A bright, spacious, and modern working environment, built to the highest standards

If you would like an informal chat about the opportunity or to request a job description, please contact [email protected].

Our employment offers are subject to receipt of satisfactory pre-employment checks. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK, and a Disclosure and Barring Service check will be necessary in the event of a successful application for which we will pay.

At Newmedica, we actively promote diversity and equal opportunities, and we are committed to this in both the running of our services and how we recruit our staff. We actively encourage applications from everyone with the essential requirements of the job, regardless of any protected characteristics.

Newmedica is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all people, irrespective of gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, language, religion, ethnic or social origin.

If you are ready to take the next step in your ophthalmic career and make a real difference to patient care and staff development, we would love to hear from you.