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Job summary

Main area
Senior Pharmacist
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
435-D034-25
Employer
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital
Town
Blackburn
Salary
£53,755 - £60,504 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
29/05/2025 23:59

Employer heading

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust logo

Senior Pharmacist - Respiratory

NHS AfC: Band 8a

At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care.  We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.

Job overview

There is an opportunity to join our brilliant Pharmacy team in the role of Senior Pharmacist within the respiratory directorate

You will: 

  • Be responsible for the team of pharmacists working within a medical cluster of wards (which includes respiratory).
  • Support pharmacists involved in the delivery of the clinical pharmacy service in respiratory clinical areas.
  • Be responsible for leading and developing the clinical pharmacy service to the Medicines and Emergency Care (MEC) Division in accordance with the objectives set by the Divisional Lead Pharmacist, with particular emphasis on the Respiratory directorate.
  • Deputise for the Divisional Lead Pharmacist as delegated and as designated in their absence.

Main duties of the job

  • Personally deliver a high-level clinical pharmacy commitment to the respiratory wards including practicing as a non-medical prescriber.
  • Lead the pharmacy team to ensure, safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient use of respiratory related medicines  taking into account national and corporate priorities.
  • Work closely with other senior pharmacists within MEC and develop joint priorities and protocols where applicable.
  • Answer complex problems regarding patient’s medication and advise medical, nursing and other healthcare staff on drug related issues including prescription review, medicines reconciliation and discharge planning.
  • Work with key staff in both primary and secondary care to promote evidence-based treatments and ensure high quality prescribing and cost-effective use of medicines, including guideline development, implementation and review.
  • Actively engage and collaborate with the department’s senior pharmacists and wider workforce to ensure the delivery of an integrated pharmacy service.
  • Provide line management support to band 7 and band 6 pharmacists according to Trust personnel procedures, carrying out sickness reviews, grievance and disciplinary matters when required.
  • Support the preparation of pharmacist rotas, allocating duties accordingly.

Working for our organisation

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust aims to deliver the highest quality care to its patients. We employ dedicated staff, some of which have won awards for their work and are internationally renowned. 

Whilst being spread across sites and having a large number of staff we are very welcoming to all and have many assistants, technicians and pharmacists who have worked and progressed with us for very many years.

We have strong links with our local universities with three teacher practitioners who support junior pharmacists and provide teaching to medical and pharmacy undergraduates.

We have highly specialist pharmacists working within other clinical areas e.g Homecare and MI and those who deliver clinics for Cardiology and Dermatology. We are keen to support the professional development of our staff and look to the future of Consultant Pharmacist roles at the Trust.

It is a challenging time for all in the NHS, but at East Lancashire Teaching Hospitals you be given support, mentorship, autonomy and the Pharmacy Management Team will work hard to ensure that you reach and maintain your potential whilst having a rewarding and fulfilled career. 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See attached documents for full details of the job description and person specification. 

If you have any questions or would like to arrange a visit, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Please contact:

Emma Watson (Divisional Lead Pharmacist -surgery/families) 01254 734167

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • MPharm Degree (4 years) or equivalent
  • Member GPhC
  • Postgraduate clinical diploma/qualification (or equivalent clinical experience)
Desirable criteria
  • Postgraduate qualification in management or relevant specialist qualification
  • Non-medical Prescriber

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Advanced clinical pharmacy practice in one or more relevant areas
  • Current and relevant clinical knowledge in area of speciality
  • Experience of leading pharmacy services in primary or secondary care
  • Supervisory management of a team
  • Ability to deal with complex clinical issues
  • Multidisciplinary working with medical and nursing staff
  • Demonstrable experience of training and support of pharmacists/other staff groups
  • Experience and knowledge of developing guidelines/protocols

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Essential criteria
  • Understanding of local and national NHS and Pharmaceutical Policy
  • Understanding of medicines legislation and guidance, i.e Medicines Act, Misuse of Drugs Act, etc
  • Understanding of clinical and risk management guidance as applied to Medicines Management; and clinical governance principles
  • Broad range of understanding of clinical practice and knowledge of medical conditions
  • Understanding of current medicines optimisation issues
  • General knowledge of NHS developments including primary and secondary care
  • Understanding and knowledge of external agencies concerned with patient safety
  • Data analysis skills

Judgement

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrates clear thinking and able to analyse highly complex problems of an ethical, pharmaceutical, or clinical nature
  • Makes sound decisions with limited information
  • Intuition – anticipate difficulties and take appropriate action
  • Knows when to consult (own limitations)
  • Reflects on own practice and learns from experience
  • Able to identify, prioritise and evaluate work

Communication Skills

Essential criteria
  • Good verbal and written communication
  • Excellent numeric and verbal skills. Has advanced keyboard skills
  • Courteous with all customers both internal and external including members of the public and other healthcare professionals
  • Able to communicate highly complex information of a clinical nature
  • Ability to influence senior Pharmacy and hospital staff and other people

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria
  • Has vision and imagination, initiative, creativity, able to see beyond barriers
  • Supportive and motivational
  • Can balance strong leadership and working within a team
  • Prioritises and meets deadlines
  • Mature in approach and has professional credibility
  • Able to be seen as a role model – reliable fair and balanced
  • Flexibility in working hours
  • Systematic approach
  • Energetic and can enthuse, ‘can-do’ approach; thrives on change
  • Calm under pressure

Other Requirements

Essential criteria
  • Flexibility in working hours

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardPositive about disabled peopleInvestors in PeopleCare quality commission - GoodDisability confident committedStep into healthHappy to Talk Flexible Working

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
Emma Watson
Job title
Divisional Lead Pharmacist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01254 734167

If you have problems applying, contact

Address
Level 1
Fusion House
Evolution Park
Blackburn
Lancashire
BB1 2FD
Telephone
01254 732075
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