RCOphth is a membership organisation and relies on member participation in our work. We actively recruit for roles that help to shape our membership services and clinical leadership activities in the ophthalmic sector.
Being part of the RCOphth as a College Officer or committee member means that you can make a difference to the work of your colleagues in eye services, the wider ophthalmic workforce and patients. All College roles are supported by teams of experienced and specialist staff, working together to fulfil the aims of the College across all four nations and to support ophthalmic education and training internationally. Together, we deliver our activities in an inclusive and mutually respectful environment, a desire to improve and innovate and work in an open and transparent way.
We expect all our staff and members to demonstrate the values and behaviours that underpin our work.
Below are the roles we actively recruit for and which help to shape the work of the College and the ophthalmic sector.
Current Vacancies
We are recruiting more consultants to assess applicants who wish to have their names entered into the Specialist Register through the equivalence route.
This involves reviewing applications from doctors both from the UK and abroad to determine whether their training and subsequent experience is equivalent to that of a recently successful CCT candidate. The RCOphth panel then make a recommendation to the GMC regarding the suitability of an applicant being placed on the Specialist Register.
This important role has a number of benefits for the assessors and also for the profession.
Please read the following:
To apply, complete either the CESR Assessors Application form or CESR Assessors Application form Retired Consultants and return it along with an abridged CV to [email protected].
Successful applicants will be expected to attend a training day.
For any questions, please contact Alex Tytko, Head of Education and Training at [email protected].
We appoint examiners at different grades depending on your experience and eligibility. More details about the different roles and requirements can be found in our information packs below.
We are seeking representatives to promote SAS doctors in ophthalmology.
Outline of our Purpose/aims:
1. To represent Staff and Associate Specialists (SAS) ophthalmologists’ opinions to the College.
2. To disseminate information on College matters to SAS members.
3. To support SAS ophthalmologists in their professional roles and their professional development.
4. To enhance SAS ophthalmologists’ contribution to ophthalmology.
If you would like to have a chat about our roles please contact Dr Swetha Maddula Batambuze, Chair SAS Committee at [email protected]
Further Information about the SAS Committee: Committees & Groups | The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (rcophth.ac.uk)
To apply please fill in this SAS Group Application Form and return it to [email protected].
The College is seeking Fellows, Members or Affiliate Members to join the Surgical Skills Faculty.
Applicants must either hold a UK substantive consultant post, be a SAS Doctor or be an ophthalmic trainee at ST6 or ST7 level.
Faculty Members who are appointed for the advanced courses shall, in addition, indicate their areas of subspecialty interest and expertise. Members may be invited to help and advise with regard to writing course material and designing course programmes.
You may download the SAS & Consultant Application Form, or the Trainee Application Form. These must be returned to [email protected].
Advisory Appointment Committees, or AACs, are recruitment panels used when hiring consultants and specialty doctors in Trusts across the UK. The College works with Trusts and other NHS bodies to approve job descriptions and send a volunteer College adviser to provide College guidance on the suitability of the applicants for appointment. Here you can find information about becoming an AAC representative and what Trusts need to provide to the College for recruitment.
RCOphth’s role in AACs
College involvement in AACs is important. Anyone hiring a consultant ophthalmologist for an NHS provider must organise an AAC recruitment interview, with a College representative on all panels for consultant appointments. Our Regional Representatives approve job descriptions to ensure job planning offers adequate SPAs and staffing in hospital ophthalmology departments can meet its training, administration and clinical experience needs. We rely on consultant ophthalmologists volunteering as AAC reps to provide a robust and thorough process for the recruitment of vital consultants in ophthalmology.
AAC Representatives
As an AAC adviser you will work alongside RCOphth regional representatives to provide quality assurance of appointed consultants by attending recruitment interviews. Your external perspective will ensure candidates are suitable to fulfill all elements of the role. This safeguards patients and the NHS provider.
You will:
- Ensure a candidate is fit to train the next generation of ophthalmologists
- Check that a candidate can offer safe and efficient patient care within the needs of the department
- Ensure a fair and impartial recruitment process that accurately reflects a candidate’s suitability for the role
We recruit for AAC representatives on an ongoing basis. We receive requests from Trusts for an AAC representative every month at locations throughout the UK, so we’re looking for representatives from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We welcome applications from those with at least one years’ experience as a consultant ophthalmologist within the NHS. You do not need to have any prior experience as an AAC representative, you will be provided with guidance to support you in this role. However, you must have had Trust approved equality and diversity training in the last 3 years.
Email laurelle.bygraves@rcophth to add your name to our list of AAC representatives, or request further information. We send weekly emails to our representatives with a full list of AACs that we’re seeking a volunteer for. We endeavor to provide as much notice as possible and you can volunteer for as many as you are able to do. Expenses can be claimed from the hiring Trust.
Acting as an examiner for the College is an important role and carries with it responsibility for maintaining the high standards expected of candidates wishing to become Diplomates, Members or Fellows of the College. The panel of examiners consists of both medical practitioners who are Fellows, Members or Affiliate Members of the College and lay examiners drawn from the College’s Lay Advisory Group.
Examining for the College also offers the opportunity to network with colleagues from around the UK, keep your general ophthalmic knowledge up to date and gain CPD.
Further details on the roles and requirements of being an examiner are available in the Panel of Examiners – General Information Pack and relevant information packs below. If you’d like to discuss any of the roles further, please contact the Examinations Department ([email protected])
Panel of Examiners – General Information Pack
Examiner-General-Information-Pack
Consultant and post-CCT Grade Examiners – Information Pack
Application-Pack-for-Consultant-and-post-CCT-Grade-Examiners-April
SAS Grade Examiners – Information Pack
Application-Pack-for-SAS-Grade-Examiners-Final-Oct
Trainee Grade Examiners – Information Pack
Application-Pack-for-Trainee-Grade-Examiners
Certificate in Laser and Refractive Surgery (CertLRS) Examiners
Application-Pack-for-CertLRS-Examiner
Optometrist Examiners (for Refraction Certificate exams) – Information Pack
Examiner Application Pack for Optometrists
Examiners Code of Conduct
Code-of-Conduct-FRCOphth-examiners
The College values the work carried out by its tutors and has a number of resources available to them. Please complete the College-Tutor-Nomination-Form if you are interested in the role.
College Tutors (CTs) have overall responsibility as lead trainers for the postgraduate training in the unit and are the point of contact with the Royal College. They are an important component to the delivery of a successful training programme across the country and therefore the work they do is greatly appreciated by the College.
Please refer to the role description and person specification for further information.
Within the unit, CTs lead and work closely with a team of Clinical Supervisors (CS, responsible for day-to-day supervision of trainees) and Educational Supervisors (ES, responsible for the global supervision and support of trainees).
Beyond the unit, CTs will liaise with Directors of Medical Education (DMEs) in the Trust, Training Programme Directors (TPDs) at the LETB/Deanery and Regional Education Advisers (REAs) appointed by The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Regional Education Advisers are listed in the Ophthalmic Directory .
These are useful local sources of help and support if required. Bigger units might wish to consider appointing an Associate-College-Tutor with whom duties may be shared.
Newly-appointed College Tutors are expected to attend a College Tutor Training Day within six months of appointment. These workshops also serve as refresher for College Tutors on their second term.
College Tutor Training Day
The aim of the day is to examine the main duties of a College Tutor and discuss the delivery and assessment of training. It will also give the opportunity to ask questions about College work and meet other College Tutors. To book a place, please complete and return the combined College-Tutor-Nomination-Form.
The training day is also suitable for Associate College Tutors who support CTs in their role.