Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week
- Job ref
- 188-SCL040926
- Employer
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- University Hospital Southampton
- Town
- Southampton
- Salary
- £57,528 - £64,750 - Per Annum, Pro Rata
- Closing
- 06/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Lead Pharmacist - Sustainability
Band 8a
Job overview
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.
Please see below for detailed job description of the role.
Main duties of the job
This is an exciting opportunity to join us and help lead one of the NHS's most ambitious pharmacy sustainability programmes.
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an enthusiastic and innovative Highly Specialist Clinical Pharmacist (Band 8a) to play a pivotal role in delivering sustainable medicines optimisation initiatives that improve patient care, reduce environmental impact and generate significant financial savings for the Trust. The post will support the development of clinical pharmacy services, medicines optimisation and quality improvement across UHS, whilst leading projects aligned to our Green Plan and Net Zero ambitions.
This exciting new role has been created as part of a wider Trust sustainability programme that brings together pharmacy, clinical sustainability leads and operational teams to deliver transformational projects across the organisation. The programme is expected to deliver over £330,000 of recurrent savings from medicines optimisation initiatives, alongside wider environmental benefits.
Working for our organisation
As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.
We support flexible working and will consider requests taking into account the needs of the service. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.
Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 30% lower than London and 17 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.
We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
In this role:
As part of the pharmacy anti-infectives team you will work closely with the clinical teams across UHS, you will provide highly specialist clinical pharmacy expertise while leading and implementing innovative sustainability projects. You will support the delivery of key initiatives including:
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Developing and implementing Trust-wide IV to oral antimicrobial switch programmes.
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Reducing inappropriate use of intravenous paracetamol through evidence-based medicines optimisation.
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Leading projects to increase the use of tablets and capsules in place of liquid medicines where clinically appropriate.
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Identifying and delivering further sustainable prescribing and medicines use initiatives across the Trust and wider ICB.
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Supporting business case development, medicines governance and service improvement programmes.
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Working alongside divisional clinical sustainability leads to deliver transformational change.
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You will be a core member of multidisciplinary clinical teams, providing expert pharmaceutical care, contributing to consultant ward rounds, supporting prescribing practice, developing guidelines and policies, supervising junior pharmacists, and delivering education across the organisation.
Why this role is different:
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This post offers an exceptional opportunity to combine advanced clinical pharmacy practice with sustainability leadership. The successful candidate will help deliver projects with measurable impacts on:
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Patient outcomes and experience.
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Medicines safety and optimisation.
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NHS carbon reduction ambitions.
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Workforce productivity.
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Financial sustainability of the Trust.
Examples of planned projects include:
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IV to oral antimicrobial optimisation with estimated recurrent savings of £250,000 per annum.
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IV to oral paracetamol conversion with potential savings of £34,000 per annum.
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Switching suitable liquid medicines to tablets/capsules with potential savings of £46,000 per annum.
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Development of further pharmacy-led sustainability and medicines optimisation programmes across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
About you:
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You will be a motivated pharmacist with:
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Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
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Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent experience.
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Experience delivering clinical pharmacy services within a specialist area.
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A strong track record of service improvement, audit and implementing change.
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Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
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Experience supervising and developing junior pharmacy staff.
Independent prescribing and experience of leading quality improvement or sustainability initiatives would be advantageous.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent
- Registered with General Pharmaceutical Council
- Postgraduate diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent experience
- Can demonstrate Advanced Stage 1 competencies in the RPS Advanced Pharmacy Framework in relation to medical or surgical patients
Desirable criteria
- Management qualification or equivalent experience
- MSc in clinical pharmacy or equivalent experience
- Independent Prescribing qualification
- Can demonstrate Advanced Stage 2 or Mastery competencies in the RPS Advanced Pharmacy Framework in relation to medical or surgical patients
- Leadership qualification or experience
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
- Sound knowledge of clinical pharmacy services acquired while working within a suitable specialty.
- Experience of audit and evaluative work
- Teaching and tutoring experience
- Experience of supervising others
- Experience of implementing change and change management
- Development and implementation of guidelines and procedures
- Experience of change management
Desirable criteria
- Sound understanding of healthcare priorities and political agendas
- Training in medicines information
- Project Management training or qualification
- Experience of managing others
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Andy Fox
- Job title
- Deputy Chief Pharmacist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
Andy Fox, Deputy Chief Pharmacist, [email protected]
Jackie Swabe, Anti-microbial Pharmacist, [email protected]
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