Ophthalmic Assistant at Newmedica in Plymouth, England, GB

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 Plymouth site. This will be 37.5 hours over 4 days per week including ad hoc 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.

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 Clinic Assistant is a great platform to potentially explore a career in diagnostic (clinic) and 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: • Previous experience of working with patients or in a customer facing role • Knowledge of eye physiology and treatment or a keen interest to build knowledge in this area • A competent user of all Office 365 programmes & comfortable working on new systems such as patient record systems or diagnostic programmes. • An excellent grasp of the English language both verbally and in written format • Experience of dealing with a variety of data for example patient records, GP and patient correspondence and diagnostic test results • A good team player – happy to jump in and support others when required.

What we’re offering

A salary of £25,740.00 • 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.Birthday day off. • An environment where your learning and development is supported through a range of various learning tools and courses. • Working with a friendly multi-disciplinary team passionate 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 wendy.hill@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.