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Job summary

Main area
Pharmacy
Grade
Agenda for Change Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (This role includes late shifts, bank holidays, weekends and on-calll commitments on a rota basis.)
Job ref
370-ACS8APHA-87
Employer
Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Warrington & Halton Hospitals
Town
Warrington
Salary
£55,690 - £62,682 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
15/08/2025 23:59
Interview date
26/08/2025

Employer heading

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust logo

Lead Pharmacist for Cardiology and Acute Medicine

Agenda for Change Band 8a

Job overview

We are seeking a dynamic and dedicated Band 8a Lead Pharmacist for Cardiology and Acute Medicine to join our team. This role involves leading and enhancing inpatient and outpatient cardiology services alongside inpatient acute medicine.

The position offers a unique opportunity to work across both specialities, supporting service delivery and engaging in bedside training with rotational foundation pharmacists.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Participating in multidisciplinary ward rounds, outpatient clinics, and team meetings.
  • Providing specialist advice to healthcare teams, ensuring safe and effective medicines use tailored to individual patient needs.
  • Delivering education and training to staff, fostering the development of pharmacy teams.
  • Involvement in clinical governance activities and service evaluations to drive quality improvements.

This exciting role offers the chance to further develop your clinical expertise and leadership skills in a supportive, collaborative environment. Our department is committed to staff development, offering opportunities for personal growth and professional achievement.

The successful candidate will also contribute to the on-call, weekend/bank holiday, and late service rotas as part of the wider pharmacy team.

Join us to help deliver exceptional care to patients while advancing your professional journey.

Main duties of the job

  • Attend multidisciplinary team meetings during acute medicine and cardiology ward rounds to provide a comprehensive pharmaceutical service, support bespoke patient management protocols, and contribute to improved patient outcomes.
  • Conduct thorough medication reviews, assess treatment plans, and provide evidence-based recommendations to optimise patient care.
  • Educate patients and clinicians on the safe and effective use of medications, ensuring adherence and understanding.
  • Develop and deliver educational materials and training programmes for healthcare professionals and patients, enhancing knowledge and confidence in medication management.
  • Participate in research activities and quality improvement initiatives related to acute medicine and cardiology, driving advancements in patient outcomes and service delivery.

Working for our organisation

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a caring and compassionate organisation that is both ambitious and innovative. We are committed to delivering the best outcomes for our patients and providing a positive experience of our staff.  We aspire to be outstanding for our patients, our communities and our staff and are committed to being a great place to receive healthcare, work and learn.

Straddling the neighbouring boroughs of Warrington and Halton we are part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care system.  Our hospitals are ideally situated to meet the growing healthcare needs of the 330,000 population of these boroughs.

Warrington Hospital is home to our emergency, critical care and maternity services, Halton Hospital is focused on elective procedures and the Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre, although many services are offered at both sites and in community hubs.

A CQC-rated ‘good’ organisation with ‘outstanding’ features, we are working towards university hospital status, having achieved teaching hospital status in 2019.

Our workforce of nearly 5,000 across both sites comprises more than 50 nationalities. We strive to be an equal, diverse and inclusive employer, which is recognised as a pioneer in its equality, diversity and inclusion work. The Trust is proud to have achieved numerous external accreditations and is working towards achieving the Anti-Racist Organisation Framework, recognising the importance of anti-racism in all that we do.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Undertake Lead Pharmacist duties for area of designated specialism – Cardiology and Acute medicine

 Be responsible for delivering on the Trust medicines optimisation strategy in respect to Cardiology and Acute medicine therapeutics
Perform risk assessments, clinical governance and provide assurance measures in areas of responsibility

Undertake relevant training to maintain competencies and further develop clinical or technical specialist knowledge in specialist area

Apply highly specialist knowledge to provide and develop clinical services, produce protocols or guidelines, undertake audits / research, act as a source of pharmaceutical expertise and promote cost effective use of medicines to other healthcare professionals

Be responsible for providing formal training / education for Pharmacy staff, other healthcare professionals (e.g. nurses, doctors, medical students) and patients, on medication use and expenditure in designated specialism and other areas at the request of the education lead

When registered as a non-medical prescriber, undertake the clinical management and drug treatment of designated patients

Take on responsibility for managing and developing staff 

In the absence of the Clinical Pharmacist Team Manager/responsible pharmacist construct and/or amend the weekly service cover rota as required

Deal with issues that need senior input when acting as the most senior pharmacist available on site

Participate in the provision and development of pharmaceutical services to Warrington Hospital, Halton Hospital and for other units provided with services by the Pharmacy Department under service 
level agreements.

FULL JOB DESCRIPTION ATTACHED

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Masters qualification in Pharmacy (4 years), or equivalent qualification, plus 1-year pre-registration training and experience.
  • Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council
  • Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent documented clinical experience
  • Evidence of Continuing Professional development
Desirable criteria
  • Independent prescribing qualification (V300 or equivalent)
  • Teaching and assessing qualification
  • Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Validated post registration hospital experience or equivalent documented clinical experience
  • Ward based, medicines management experience
  • Experience in delivering training and supervising others
  • Audit and / or practice research experience
  • Collaborative working in multidisciplinary settings
  • Management and leadership experience
Desirable criteria
  • Medicines information experience
  • Project management experience
  • Experience of policy, guideline and service development
  • Risk management
  • Staff management

Skills, knowledge and competencies

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrate team working and team management skills
  • Demonstrate ability to use initiative and solve problems
  • Excellent Communication Skills
  • Good IT skills
  • Can assimilate complex information for decision making and prioritisation
  • Excellent knowledge of clinical therapeutics and pharmacology
  • Excellent knowledge and understanding of medicines regulation and guidance
  • Reponds positively and pragmatically to constructive feedback
  • Empathetic and sensitive nature to service users and colleagues
  • Deals with patients & staff with honesty & integrity
  • Ability to work flexibly and reliably, including on-call
  • Ability to travel to study days/other work locations using own or public transport 24hrs a day
  • Ability to undertake moderate physical exercise/effort
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to develop services in designated area.
  • Ability to affect and manage change with an ability to motivate others.
  • Ability to manage time, people and resources to deliver outcomes
  • Identifies and manages risk
  • Expert knowledge of drug related admissions and adverse drug reactions

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Veteran AwareMenopause Friendly EmployerDisability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)NHS Rainbow badgeStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.ERS Silver Logo WelshNHS Rainbow Badge - BronzeWomens Staff NetworkLGBTQ RGBMulti Ethnic Staff NetworkDisability AwarenessNavajo

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
Greg Hobson
Job title
Principal Pharmacist for Unplanned Care
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01925 662025
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