Ophthalmic Assistant
Who are we?
Newmedica is one of the leading providers of NHS ophthalmology services in England,
delivering outpatient appointments, diagnostic testing and eye surgery to change lives through better sight and eye health.
We’re proud to have been certified as a Great Place to Work for the third year running and listed among the UK’s top 30 Best Workplaces™ for 2026 —recognition that reflects how colleagues feel about working here.
Our Purpose is to change lives through better sight and eye health, and our Vision is to end
avoidable sight loss in every community we serve; we live our values every day—Commercial,
Courageous, Compassion, Collaborative and Curious.
Role overview
We are looking for a new Ophthalmic Assistant to join our Shrewsbury site. This will be 24 hours over 3 days per week including some weekends on a rota basis. Our Ophthalmic Assistants are the face of Newmedica – they’re often amongst the first people that our patients interact with on clinic visits and so having a welcoming, friendly, empathetic approach is vital.
It’s a busy role - you’ll be seeing a number of patients each day to take them through a range of diagnostic tests. These will be passed onto a senior clinician to ascertain if surgery or further treatment is required. You’ll be using a variety of different equipment and systems so we’re looking for someone who is comfortable using systems and is fairly tech savvy.
You'll also play an active role in the theatre pathway, supporting patients and the multidisciplinary team to ensure a safe and positive patient journey.
The thought of eye surgery can be a daunting prospect for patients to deal with, so our Ophthalmic Assistants need to be able to put patients at ease. They also need strong communication skills to be able to explain the purpose of the different tests to ensure the patient understands their treatment.
This is a great role to progress your clinical skills or to take the first step on a clinical career
path. Newmedica is committed to the growth and development of all our colleagues and the Ophthalmic Assistant is a great platform to potentially explore a career in diagnostic (clinic) or theatre teams
What skills and experience do I need?
We’ll provide training so experience isn’t always needed, but the following things will be
advantageous:
as patient record systems or diagnostic programmes.
correspondence and diagnostic test results
What we’re offering
well-being/counselling/advice service and a retail/technology discount scheme.
various learning tools and courses.
patients
If you would like an informal chat about the opportunity or to request a job description, please
contact harriet.barnbrook@newmedica.co.uk
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 which we will pay for.
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
Newmedica is one of England’s leading independent providers of NHS-funded ophthalmology services, delivering expert eyecare that helps protect and preserve sight.
Working in partnership with the NHS, GPs, and local opticians, we care for over 230,000 NHS and private patients each year across 30+ locations, offering quick access to advanced treatment in modern, community-based clinics.
Backed by a dedicated team of 1,200+ employees, we’re proud to deliver short wait times, outstanding outcomes, and compassionate care with 99% of patients recommending us and 100% saying they were treated with dignity and respect.
We're thrilled to say that following an independently conducted survey of Newmedica colleagues to tell us what it’s like to work here, we've been certified as a Great Place to Work for the second year running. The feedback has directly contributed to Newmedica being listed among the UK’s top 50 Best Workplaces™ for 2025.
