Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacist
- Grade
- Band 8b
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 180-B-264103
- Employer
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Addenbrookes Hospital-Division B
- Town
- Cambridge
- Salary
- £66,582 - £77,368 p.a. pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 22/04/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Lead Pharmacist Medication Safety and Anticoagulation
Band 8b
Job overview
The post holder will work as a senior member of the Medication Safety Pharmacy Team, providing Trust-wide pharmacy leadership and expert clinical input to support the safe, effective and evidence-based use of anticoagulation across Cambridge University Hospitals and the wider system.
The role combines advanced clinical pharmacy practice in anticoagulation with senior leadership responsibilities within the Medication Safety Team.
The post holder will play a key role in driving quality improvement, governance and service development, and will deputise for the Consultant Pharmacist – Medication Safety as required
Main duties of the job
Primary Focus – Anticoagulation
- Provide senior Trust‑wide and system‑level pharmacy leadership for anticoagulation, with clear accountability for the safe, effective and evidence‑based use of anticoagulant medicines.
- Act as the Trust’s expert Pharmacy lead for anticoagulation, shaping strategy, governance and clinical practice across inpatient, outpatient and interface settings.
- Lead and actively contribute to Trust committees, programmes and governance forums relevant to anticoagulation and VTE, ensuring alignment with national guidance, safety alerts and emerging best practice.
Secondary Focus – Medication Safety
- Deputise for the Consultant Pharmacist – Medication Safety, providing senior pharmacy leadership and representation within the Trust and externally as required.
- Provide expert pharmacy leadership to Trust groups overseeing patient and medication safety, including (but not limited to) the Medication Safety Committee, Harm Free Care, Safety Event Review Forum, Pharmacy Senior Management Team and Joint Drug and Therapeutics Committee.
- Take responsibility for the leadership and delivery of designated medication safety projects or workstreams, as agreed with the Consultant Pharmacist – Medication Safety, ensuring alignment with Trust priorities and national safety agendas.
Working for our organisation
Our Trust
Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people – patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing ‘outstanding’ care to our patients and rated ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH’s values – Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent – are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.
CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people’s age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:
- applied for a Graduate visa
- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment
- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employment
This vacancy will close at midnight on 22nd April 2026
Interviews are due to be held on 4th May 2026
Benefits to you
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Masters level degree in pharmacy.
- Registered as a pharmacist with General
- Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
- Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy/General
- Pharmacy Practice (or equivalent)
- Leadership or management development course
- Registered as an independent prescriber with the GPhC.
Desirable criteria
- MSc in Clinical Pharmacy (or equivalent qualification)
- Risk management training.
- Member of Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
- Research degree (MSc, PhD) or working towards this qualification.
- Educational qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Extensive recent post-registration hospital experience as a clinical pharmacist at band 8a in a relevant clinical area in a teaching hospital or in primary care.
- Experienced clinical pharmacist who has covered a range of clinical specialities.
- Highly specialised knowledge of drugs and therapeutic trends in specialist clinical area.
- Experience of the practical implementation of national guidance in drug use (e.g. NICE, safety alerts) and participation in medicines related patient safety responses. Evidence of application of clinical governance skills to wider patient care
- Experience of writing professional reports.
- Experience of developing and reviewing patient group directions and shared care guidelines, drug policies and treatment guidelines.
- Evidence of having written, supervised, conducted and implemented the outcomes of clinical audit.
- Experience of the practical application of antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.
- Experience of drug expenditure analysis and reporting.
- Experience of the management of high-cost, high-risk and critical medicines.
- Experience as a personal tutor to a range of pre- and post-registration pharmacy staff groups.
- Experience of developing and leading on projects including change management and service development.
- Experience of working within a regional or national group to implement new or changed guidance.
- Previous management experience with responsibility for pharmacy staff
Desirable criteria
- Extensive recent post-registration hospital experience as a clinical pharmacist at band 8b in a relevant specialist clinical area in a teaching hospital or in primary care.
- Experienced clinical pharmacist who has covered a range of clinical specialities in more than one hospital.
- Recent practical experience of independent prescribing for a designated group of patients.
- Experience of writing a business case.
- Experience of managing and supervising a research project.
- Experience of writing for pharmaceutical or educational publications.
- Experience of horizon scanning.
- Experience of leading on implementation of a national development or change in pharmacy practice
- Expereince of strategic medicines optimisation with both internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience of planning and accrediting an educational course.
- Experience of research methodology, study design and grant application for practice research.
- Experience of participating in an Ethics or Research and Development Committee.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Advanced detailed clinical knowledge of drugs and therapeutic trends within the specialist area.
- Knowledge of national medication safety alert mechanisms and their local implementation
- Knowledge of UK healthcare systems and NHS changes, particularly in relation to patient safety
- IT literate with excellent knowledge of Word, Powerpoint and Excel (or equivalent systems).
- Familiar with the use of a range of visual aids for teaching.
- Knowledge of pharmacy, medicines and clinical computer systems.
- Knowledge of electronic prescribing IT systems.
- Knowledge and experience of clinical audit methodology.
- Knowledge and experience of critical appraisal skills.
- Knowledge of legislation, regulations and best practice as they relate to medicines safety e.g. prescribing, supply, administration, storage, unlicensed medicines, procurement.
- Knowledge of NHS commissioning processes
- Knowledge of NHS Just and Leaning Culture and application in personal practice.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge and experience of practice research methodology.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Demonstrate advanced professional practice as defined within the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Core Advanced Curriculum. . This may be tested by means of a clinical test during the interview process.
- Show evidence of good organisation skills, prioritisation and time management.
- Be self-motivated and enthusiastic.
- Have excellent written and verbal communication and consultation skills.
- Be able to give oral presentations appropriate to the level of the audience including students.
- Be able to produce high quality written reports.
- Be able to influence and negotiate with all grades of staff.
- Have excellent patient consultation skills.
- Be able to lead, manage and work well in a team.
- Be able to listen to and act on the direction of senior management.
- Be able to oversee the provision of high quality pharmaceutical care of patients by the pharmacy team and identify / resolve issues arising.
- Show the ability to empathise with patients / carers.
- Be able to produce high quality written reports.
- Be able to teach, train, coach and mentor a range of staff groups.
- Be able to produce support materials for staff training and development.
- Be able to remain calm and work effectively under pressure to deadlines to achieve results.
Desirable criteria
- The appointee will be able to write research proposals and successful grant applications.
Additional Requirements
Essential criteria
- The ability to understand and always behave, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of Safe, Kind, Excellent.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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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
- Narinder Bhalla
- Job title
- Consultant Pharmacist- Medication Safety
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
Rachel Berry- Associate Chief Pharmacist- Clinical Services
Kate Stopher- Deputy Clinical Services Pharmacy Manager
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