| Descriptors |
- Initiate a management plan, including referring to more experienced clinicians when appropriate.
- Involve other health care professionals in patient management when appropriate.
- Make appropriate referrals in a timely and efficient manner and in accordance with local protocols and guidelines.
- Recognise when a patient’s clinical presentation needs priority and make appropriate arrangements to expedite their care.
- Recognise where the patient’s vision may not meet the visual standards for driving and provide appropriate counselling.
- Explain diagnoses to patients in simple language, using visual aids, online patient resources, leaflets, 3D models of eyes and posters available in clinic.
- Deliver information in an accessible way, including identifying and making arrangements for patients with hearing, speech or sight impairment, or those with English as a second language.
- Communicate effectively and sensitively when breaking bad news and be prepared to give clear and honest information.
- Utilise translators appropriately and in accordance with local policy.
- Understand and apply knowledge of general medicine and surgery relevant to ophthalmic practice.
- Understand the associations between drugs and ophthalmic disease including biologics.
- Recognise when a patient is seriously ill and make appropriate arrangements for the patient’s care.
- Prescribe local and systemic medications safely.
- Be aware of the indications, contra-indications, side-effects, and possible interactions of the drugs that are prescribed.
- Be aware of the services and support available to patients and signpost appropriately.
- Initiate appropriate referral to low vision and social services, and to eye clinic liaison officer where available.
- Make accurate, legible, signed and dated records and use Electronic Patient Records (EPR) if available.
- Contribute to the preparation of patients for surgery, including review of medical therapy prior to surgery (e.g. anticoagulants) to optimise the patient’s outcome.
- Understand the process of informed consent, following the principles set in law and by GMC guidance.
- Be aware of ongoing research and offer research participation opportunities to patients as appropriate.
- Contribute to the pre-operative assessment for local and general anaesthesia as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Recognise patient conditions that render either local or general anaesthetic hazardous.
- Use appropriate aseptic technique when assisting with or performing surgery.
- Use the operating microscope competently, ensuring optimum operating position.
- Use suturing techniques appropriate for different ocular tissues, demonstrating understanding of different sutures and knots.
- Identify suture types, remove sutures from the eye and adnexa at the appropriate time and manage any retained material or wound problems.
- Know how and when to request additional investigations in the light of planned medication use and how to act upon the results, e.g. bone scans to guide bone protection management in long-term steroid use.
|