Background
The OLT framework enables locally employed specialty, specialist and associate specialist doctors (SAS) to work and train in a structured and formally supported way to achieve specialist registration via the Portfolio Pathway route.
The aim is to provide support to candidates wishing to apply for specialist registration in the expectation that they are likely to be successful, thereby reducing the burden on Portfolio Pathway assessors and expanding the consultant workforce. For those who are not successful, the framework will provide guidance to place these doctors in an position to apply for Associate Specialist positions.
Increasing capacity within the workforce
Ophthalmology faces ongoing capacity issues in the hospital eye service. Despite progress in developing innovative models of care through the use of the non-medical workforce in primary, community and secondary care settings – and increasing virtual and other technological solutions – an expansion of medical posts, including at consultant level, will be crucial to a safe, sustainable ophthalmic service in the longer term.
Despite an over-subscription to current ophthalmology training posts, and an ability to provide more training, NHS England is unable to support more training places due to a lack of funding and is supportive of new routes to supply the workforce with consultants.
Curriculum
The curriculum for OLT is the same as the one used by ophthalmologists in training, the Ophthalmic Specialist Training (OST) Curriculum. It describes the essential or core requirements derived from a description of what a consultant ophthalmologist, as a health care professional in the UK, is able to do and how they approach their practice.
A consultant ophthalmologist in the UK is able to:
- assess a patient clinically, order and interpret appropriate investigations
- manage the patient’s clinical care based upon an understanding of basic and clinical sciences
- be competent in a range of practical and surgical skills
- communicate effectively with a patient and other individuals important in that patient’s care and practise with appropriate attitudes and ethics
- be aware of the doctor’s role within the health and social services
- manage information effectively, efficiently and confidentially
- exercises appropriate decision making skills, clinical reasoning and judgement
- engage in health promotion and disease prevention and clinical teaching
- be aware of their limitations in terms of knowledge, experience and skills and always practises within these limits
- be committed to continuing personal development
