Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Late shifts, weekends, bank holidays cover)
- Job ref
- 193-7840122NCG
- Employer
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Berkshire Hospital
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- £55,690 - £62,682 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 18/03/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Lead Pharmacist - Virtual Wards
NHS AfC: Band 8a
At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is “Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.”
Royal Berkshire Hospital are pleased to announce that following our CQC inspection we have been rated ‘Good’ with inspectors reporting that we have made significant improvements. The Trust’s overall rating has also improved to ‘good’.
We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions
We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate
We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live
We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice
At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, we value candidates who bring their unique personalities, skills, and experiences to the Trust. When completing your application, we encourage you to highlight your individual achievements and strengths, showing us how they align with the requirements outlined in the job description and person specification. While we recognise that some applicants may use AI tools during the process, please be mindful that AI-generated responses can often lack the personal detail and relevance needed to demonstrate your suitability for the role. AI generated content is discouraged by the Trust and may diminish the candidates chances of success.
Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don’t you come and join us. We offer a range of learning and development for all employees may you be clinical or non-clinical.
Job overview
The Band 8 pharmacist will lead and manage the delivery, development, and performance of a highly specialised clinical pharmacy service for the Virtual Wards at Royal Berkshire Hospital. The role is responsible for overseeing the planning and prioritisation of pharmacy activities to ensure safe, effective, and high-quality medicines optimisation, while providing professional governance, medicines safety oversight, education, and clinical leadership to the Virtual Wards Governance Group. The postholder will develop and implement medicines management policies in line with national directives, legislation, and professional standards, proactively identifying and resolving prescribing and medicines-related risks to uphold robust clinical governance. In addition, the role includes participation in consultant ward rounds and clinics, and providing specialist Trust-wide support through collaborative partnerships across organisational boundaries.
Main duties of the job
The postholder provides strategic and operational leadership for the Virtual Wards clinical pharmacy service, ensuring safe, effective and patient-centred medicines optimisation across admission avoidance and early supported discharge pathways. They are accountable for advanced clinical assessment, independent prescribing, complex decision-making and risk stratification for high-acuity patients managed remotely and within acute interfaces. The role leads medicines governance, develops and implements policies aligned to national and Trust standards, and ensures compliance with legislation and professional frameworks.
In addition, the Band 8 pharmacist provides senior clinical supervision and education to rotational and junior pharmacists, contributes to workforce development, and represents pharmacy within the Virtual Wards governance and multidisciplinary leadership forums. The role also drives service development, quality improvement, and cross-organisational collaboration to strengthen system flow, patient safety, and integrated care delivery.
Working for our organisation
Diversity makes us interesting… Inclusion is what will make us outstanding.
Inequality exists and the journey to eliminate it is not easy. Every step we take will be a purposeful step forward to deliver a truly inclusive culture where all our people are enabled to deliver outstanding care, where background is no barrier, and where everyone can be their authentic self and we truly represent our patient community.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where possible. All applicants who have a disability and meet the minimum criteria for the post can opt for a guaranteed interview.
If you need additional help with your application please get in touch by calling the recruitment team on 0118 322 6997 or 0118 322 5342.
Our primary method of communication will be via email. However, if you would prefer to be contacted through a different method, please inform the recruitment team.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached document that contains detailed job description and person specification. Please make a note of essential and desirable criteria for this role.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- GPhC registration
- Clinical Diploma or Equivalent
- Independent Prescriber
Desirable criteria
- Advanced Clinical Practitioner
- Accredited Diploma Tutor
- Formal Management qualification
Experience and Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Substantial Hospital experience
- Experience in working in multidisciplinary team
- Experience supporting service development, clinical governance or quality improvement
- Experience in managing staff
- Experience in supporting trainees
Desirable criteria
- Experience and evidence of service development
- Experience in research
- Experience in management of safety incidents
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.
Application numbers
Candidates to be capped at 30 applications for each whole time equivalent position being recruited to.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Bilyana Doncheva
- Job title
- Associate Chief Pharmacist -Clinical Services
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01183 228299
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