Job summary
- Main area
- Critical Care & Anaesthetics
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent: Weekends, Late nights and Bank Holidays
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 249-7376697-2
- Employer
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Great Western Hospital
- Town
- Swindon
- Salary
- £55,690 - £62,682 pro rata per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 06/10/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Lead Pharmacist - Critical Care and Anaesthetics
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a unique organisation, serving as the sole integrated provider in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire system. Our scope extends beyond boundaries as we oversee adult community services in Swindon and provide acute care from the Great Western Hospital.
Our 5,500 staff have 1.2m patient contacts a year, with 13,000 operations carried out in our Theatres, around 4,000 babies born, and our emergency attendances are now well over 100,000 per year. Those numbers only tell part of our story about what an exciting time it is to join Great Western Hospitals.
We are cultivating a culture that fosters our ambitions, prioritising equality, diversion, inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership. We aim to create an environment where every member of our team can truly thrive.
The Trust is a Disability Confident Employer; all applicants who have a disability can opt to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme, which means that, providing they meet the minimum essential criteria for the post, they will be offered an interview. We are also proudly accredited as a Veteran Aware organisation and have signed The Armed Forces Covenant.
If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close adverts prior to the published closing date. Therefore, we advise you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.
Job overview
The Great Western Hospital is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity for a pharmacist to work with us as the lead for critical care and anesthetics.
This is a great opportunity for a pharmacist looking to specialise in intensive care medicine.
As a key member of the multi-disciplinary team you will attend daily ward rounds and lead on all aspects of medicines optimisation and pharmaceutical care.
You will be supported by a friendly team and work closely with the lead pharmacist for family and specialist services to innovate and and develop the service.
Main duties of the job
To be responsible for the management and delivery of a responsive, proactive, patient focused clinical pharmacy
service to a defined clinical specialty within the Trust. This includes ensuring the safe, effective and cost-effective use of medicines. To act as an advanced clinical critical care pharmacist ensuring the accuracy, legality, safety and
efficacy of prescribed medication in line with local and national procedures. To deputise both operationally and
professionally for the divisional clinical pharmacy lead, in the management of the clinical Pharmacy service.
To support responsible person and deputies in ensuring that the facilities and service are compliant with all aspects of Good Distribution Practice (EU GDP 2013/C 343/01), and all other relevant medicines regulations and quality standards.
To manage related training provision to all operational staff within the facility. To act as an operational lead in any
relevant aspects of regulatory audit (internal and external).
Working for our organisation
Our STAR values – Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect – are a golden thread running through everything we do. These values serve as a guiding principle, driving us towards our vision of delivering great joined up services to our local community. Whether at home, in the community, or within the hospital, our goal is to empower individuals to lead independent and healthier lives.
Swindon is set in the South West of England on the edge of the North Wessex Downs. The hospital was built in 2003 and is a modern hospital which provides a pleasant working environment. It is well placed close to junction 15 of the M4 and located allowing commutes to accommodate family members' jobs in cities such as Oxford, Bristol, Bath, Reading, Cheltenham and Gloucester. There are a wealth of attractive villages in the area and good schools including grammar schools within commuting distance. There is a good rail connection to London (1 hour).
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical Pharmacy
1. Act as an advanced Pharmacy practitioner in critical care, anaesthetics and pain, to plan the care and identify areas of concern related to medicine use within this specialty.
2. To provide a specialist clinical pharmacy service to patients in critical care wards, clinical areas, anaesthetic and pain teams in line with clinical pharmacy standards and objectives
3. Assist in clinical decision making to ensure patient safety and medication effectiveness through the medicines optimisation agenda.
4. Discussing with patients any issues about their medication, and liaising with other health care professionals in Primary and Secondary Care as appropriate.
5. Reviews results of external audit related to patient care and develop action plan as necessary.
6. To be/ become an Independent Prescriber (IP) and to continue to develop the role of pharmacist independent prescriber within the Trust
7. Contribute to the strategic development of pharmacy services and lead by example to enhance the Pharmacy Service reputation both at a local and national level.
Person specification
Education, Qualification and Training
Essential criteria
- MPharm Degree or equivalent and GPhC registration
- Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy
- Evidence of CPD
- Non-medical prescriber or willing to complete training
Desirable criteria
- RPS credentialled at advanced stage I or II (Critical Care or Generalist)
- Critical Care training
- Management and Leadership Qualification
- Member of Royal Pharmaceutical Society working
Experience
Essential criteria
- Acute Hospital Experience
- Experience of working across departmental and organisation boundaries to deliver specific targets and improve services for patients
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience as a divisional pharmacist
- Experience of managing a team
- Experience of Critical Care
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
- Claire Oates
- Job title
- Lead Pharmacist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01793 605030
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