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Job summary

Main area
Pharmacy
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8c
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Part time - 30 hours per week (22.5-30 hours per week)
Job ref
340-CPharm-04-26
Employer
North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Bernicia House
Town
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Salary
£79,504 - £91,609 Pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
26/04/2026 23:59
Interview date
12/05/2026

Employer heading

North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust logo

Chief Pharmacist

NHS AfC: Band 8c

Job overview

At NEAS we are passionate about the delivery of high quality clinical care and are committed to developing our services centred around the communities we serve.  We continue to strengthen the clinical and professional leadership of our workforce in a way that advances our professional capabilities and service delivery for patient care.

Our Chief Pharmacist is a key senior clinical leadership role responsible for providing strategic medicines management leadership across the Trust, ensuring the safe, effective and legal management of medicines whilst driving excellence in medicines optimisation, governance and patient safety.  As the Trust's senior pharmacy professional, this role provides expert clinical guidance on all aspects of medicines management within the pre-hospital urgent & emergency care environment.

 

Leading the work of the Medicines Management Team through exceptional role modelling and demonstration of high standard behaviours and values, we are now looking for an inspirational individual to join us in driving our vision forward.

Where appropriate, we will consider a secondment opportunity in addition to a substantive post.  We would also encourage a discussion with our Director of Paramedicine by contacting [email protected]

Main duties of the job

As the Trust's Chief Pharmacist, you will be responsible for ensuring full compliance with all statutory and legal requirements relating to medicines, controlled drugs and medical gases, providing strategic leadership on medicines governance for the organisation.  Working closely with the Director of Paramedicine & AHPs and the Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer, you will develop and maintain robust governance frameworks, audit systems and policies that ensure the highest standards of patient safety.

As a vital part of the Trust's senior clinical team, you will lead the medicines management team in how the Trust procures, stores, prescribes, administers and dispenses medicines.  You will oversee the development of Patient Group Directions and clinical protocols, provide expert guidance on antimicrobial stewardship, and drive continuous improvements in medicines optimisation across all operational areas.

 

Working strategically with local, regional and national stakeholders including commissioners, the National Ambulance Pharmacists Network, and partner NHS organisations, you will represent the Trust at senior forums.

Working for our organisation

We employ 3,500 staff in 63 locations and serve a population of 2,600,000 in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham, and Tees over 3230 square miles.

Many people think the job of the ambulance service is to collect patients and take them to hospital, but we do much more!

Paramedic skills have developed hugely in recent years, meaning we carry out more treatment at the scene and en-route to hospital.

We have a dedicated clinical assessment service that allows us to provide patients with the most appropriate care from the beginning of the patient journey.

We have a specialised branch of the Trust called HART which deal with explosions or terrorist attacks.

Ultimately patients are the heart of everything that we do to support our mission of "safe, effective and responsive care for all".

We value and respect the diversity employees bring to our workplace. We recruit a workforce that reflects the community we serve, and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds. To ensure we deliver on our aims in relation to diversity and inclusion we assess ourselves against a range of frameworks. We are ENEI Gold employer, Disability Confident Leader, Dementia Friendly, and part of Mind Blue Light programme and the Race at Work Charter from the Princes Responsible Business Network and are achieving across all objectives in NHS Equality Delivery System.

From 01/04/25 If your role needs a DBS you'll be subject to salary deduction totaling £49.50, spread over first and second pay.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification documents where you will find full details of the role and responsibilities

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria
  • Minimum 3 years registration
  • Meets the capabilities as outlined in the GPhC Chief Pharmacist standards
  • Extensive legal knowledge in relation to pharmacy issues and risk management processes.
  • Experience in a healthcare environment
  • Knowledge of clinical governance practices
  • Experience of identifying and interpreting national policy and translating this into practice

Professional Membership

Essential criteria
  • Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a pharmacist
Desirable criteria
  • Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Educatoin and Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Degree in Pharmacy or Pharmaceutical Sciences (or equivalent) MPharm, BSc or BPharm
  • Post graduate clinical diploma in clinical pharmacy
  • Evidence of a Management qualification or equivalent experience

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Trust IDVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyAge positiveDisability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardRace at WorkStep into healthMental Health Commitment at WorkENEI 2024 GoldOnvero Tide Gold Standard

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
Leanne Stansfield
Job title
Executive Assistant
Email address
[email protected]
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