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Job summary

Main area
Pharmacy
Grade
Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
  • Flexible working
37.5 hours per week (Full Time or Part Time / Flexible working hours may be considered)
Job ref
180-B-264231
Employer
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Addenbrookes Hospital-Division B
Town
Cambridge
Salary
£57,528 - £64,750 per annum pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
05/10/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust logo

Advanced Clinical Pharmacist for Acute medicine

Band 8a

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the pharmacy team at CUH as an Advanced Clinical Pharmacist in Acute Medicine.

Working as part of a supportive and inclusive multidisciplinary team, you will use your clinical expertise to deliver high-quality pharmacy care to patients across the acute medicine service.

Education and staff development are integral to the role. You’ll provide mentorship, training and supervision for junior pharmacists, foundation trainee pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians, as well as the wider MDT, fostering a culture of clinical excellence and continuous improvement. You will contribute to clinical governance through participation in audit, service evaluation and quality improvement initiatives, and will support the Pharmacy Leadership Team in developing and implementing local and national medicines optimisation priorities.

Main duties of the job

For this new role, we are looking for a proactive, self-motivated individual with excellent organisational skills who can work effectively under pressure, both alone and as part of the wider pharmacy and multidisciplinary team.  You will be responsible for leading the Acute Medicine service provision at CUH providing high quality care to our acute medicine services including the Acute Medicine short stay ward and acute elderly care ward.

You will provide expert pharmaceutical input to a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment. A key focus will be ensuring timely medicines reconciliation, optimisation of complex therapies, and reducing avoidable harm related to medicines use. You will also act as a source of specialist advice for challenging clinical cases, contributing to improved outcomes, reduced length of stay, and smoother transitions of care for a diverse range of acute medical patients.

As an independent prescriber (or working towards qualification), you will proactively manage and adjust medicines for acutely unwell patients, ensuring adherence to national and local guidelines. You’ll be actively involved in post-take ward rounds, clinical huddles and handover meetings, where your clinical expertise will directly influence prescribing decisions and treatment plans.

You will be supported by the Lead Pharmacists for Medicine to develop this service and represent pharmacy at the relevant governance meetings.

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.

All appointments with a start date on or after 1 October 2026 will be subject to a 12-week probationary period. This provides a structured and supportive period to help you settle into your role, with regular reviews and feedback.

As there is a 12-week probationary period, successful candidates are expected to have the Right to Work for a period of at least 6 months from the proposed start date. Immigration and Right to Work status will be discussed with successful candidates at conditional offer. CUH will not offer sponsorship to candidates that have applied for a fee waiver. 

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

This vacancy will close at midnight on 5th October 2026

Interviews are due to be held on 20th October 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
  • 1. Masters level degree in pharmacy.
  • 2. Registered as a pharmacist with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
  • 3. Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy/General Pharmacy Practice (or equivalent)
  • 4. Train the trainer course (or equivalent)
Desirable criteria
  • 1. MSc in Clinical Pharmacy (or equivalent)*.
  • 2. Management qualification.
  • 3. Registered as an independent prescriber with the GPhC.
  • 4. Member of Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
  • 5. Member of the faculty of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (or working towards) at Advanced Stage II.
  • 6. Diploma or MEd in medical education (or equivalent)
  • 7. Member of specialist group such as UKCPA

Experience

Essential criteria
  • 1. Recent significant post-registration experience including prescription screening, medicines reconciliation and medicines information.
  • 2. Recent significant experience of patient consultation.
  • 3. Experienced clinical pharmacist at band 7 or band 8a who has covered a range of specialities including the designated specialist clinical area.
  • 4. Experience of documenting pharmaceutical care issues in medical notes.
  • 5. Experience of writing professional reports.
  • 6. Experience of writing drug policies and treatment guidelines.
  • 7. Experience of developing and reviewing patient group directions and shared care guidelines.
  • 8. Evidence of having conducted and implemented the outcomes of a clinical audit.
  • 9. Experience of the practical application of antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.
  • 10. Experience of the management of high-cost and high-risk medicines.
  • 11. Experience as a personal tutor to a range of staff groups.
  • 12. Experience of developing and leading on projects including change management and service development.
  • 13. Experience of designing training materials for a range of healthcare professionals.
  • 14. Experience of delivering training for a range of healthcare professionals.
Desirable criteria
  • 1. Recent practical experience of independent prescribing for a designated group of patients.
  • 2. Experienced clinical pharmacist (at band 8a or 8b) including one or more of the following: Acute medicine, Emergency Medicine, Older peoples’ Medicine or General Medicine.
  • 3. Evidence of having written pharmaceutical and/or educational publications.
  • 4. Experience of drug expenditure analysis and reporting.
  • 5. Experience of publishing and following up on the outcomes of pharmacy audit or practice research.
  • 6. Experience of horizon scanning.

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • 1. Advanced clinical knowledge of drugs and therapeutic trends within designated specialist clinical area.
  • 2. Knowledge of NICE, Health Education England (HEE), NHS Improvement (NPSA) guidance and their local implementation.
  • 3. Knowledge of UK healthcare systems and NHS changes.
  • 4. Computer literate with experience of Word, Powerpoint and Excel.
  • 5. Familiar with the design and use of a range of visual aids for teaching.
  • 6. Knowedge of pharmacy computer systems.
  • 7. Knowledge of electronic prescribing IT systems.
Desirable criteria
  • 1. Knowledge of electronic prescribing and medicines administration IT systems.
  • 2. Familiar with the design and use of e-learning materials.
  • 3. Familiar with the design of educational mobile applications.

Skills

Essential criteria
  • 1. Demonstrate expert professional practice defined within the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Advanced Pharmacy Framework: Expert Professional Practice cluster at the level of Advanced Stage II.
  • 2. Show evidence of good organisation skills, prioritisation and time management.
  • 3. Be self-motivated and enthusiastic.
  • 4. Have excellent written and verbal communication and consultation skills.
  • 5. Be able to give oral presentations appropriate to the level of the audience including students.
  • 6. Be able to produce written reports.
  • 7. Have a proven ability to influence and negotiate with all grades of staff.
  • 8. Be able to manage and work well in a team.
  • 9. Be able to listen to and act on the direction of senior staff.
  • 10. Be able to review the pharmaceutical care of patients in a reasonable time frame (including level 2 medicines reconciliation) and identify / resolve issues arising.
  • 11. Show the ability to empathise with patients / carers.

Additional Requirements

Essential criteria
  • The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of Safe, Kind, Excellent.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Trust IDVeteran AwareNo smoking policyDisability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Age-Friendly Employer PledgeCare quality commission - GoodMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.We offer Wagestream - A financial wellbeing benefit which lets you access your pay as you earn it.NHS Rainbow badgeTime to changeStep into healthApprenticeships Top 100 Employers 2024

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Chloe Aherne
Job title
Lead Pharmacist for Medicine
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01223217611
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