Orthoptist Duties & Responsibilities

The role and function of an Orthoptist includes the following duties and responsibilities:

  • Assess, interpret and diagnose eye position and eye movement disorders
  • Assess and interpret a patient's visual development
  • Investigate causes of vision and visual field loss
  • Formulate a treatment plan, which might include prescribing an eye patch, eye exercises or the use of prisms
  • Manage medicines
  • Refer patients for further tests or investigations
  • Work as part of a multidisciplinary team
  • Monitor patients' treatment and condition
  • Undertake general administrative duties relating to patient care
  • Contribute to service improvement and audit
  • Be aware of public health initiatives
  • Train students on placement and other health professionals, e.g. pre-registration optometry and undergraduate medical students
  • Be responsible for your own continued professional development (CPD) and mandatory training.

Note that this is not an exhaustive list of Orthoptist duties and responsibilities. Job functions for specific Orthoptist roles may vary, depending on the industry and type of employer.