Advanced Specialist Pharmacist Virtual Wards, Hospital @ Home + OPAT

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 14 April 2025

Job summary

Join a dynamic, innovative team driving excellence in virtual healthcare!

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is looking for an enthusiastic and experienced pharmacist to lead and support the Virtual Ward and Hospital @ Home services across both sites of the organisation. Are you a Clinical Pharmacist passionate about transforming patient care through Virtual Wards, Hospital at Home (H@H), and OPAT? Ready for a role that challenges, inspires, and rewards you? This could be your perfect opportunity!

You will work closely with the consultant microbiologists and consultant antimicrobial pharmacist, acute physicians, specialist nurses and the wider multidisciplinary team to ensure safe, effective, and patient-centred therapy.

You will oversee and coordinate the pharmacy clinical service for Virtual wards and hospital@home, investigating medicines-related safety incidents, monitoring financial and clinical governance, and leading on evidence-based prescribing. You will also be responsible for developing guidelines on prescribing, administration, and storage of IV antimicrobials, ensuring seamless care across primary and secondary settings.

You will be a GPhC-registered pharmacist with strong clinical experience, excellent communication skills, and a passion for clinical pharmacy. Prior experience in antimicrobial pharmacy is desirable but not essential--you just need the drive to develop in this area.

Main duties of the job

To lead and develop an advanced specialist clinical pharmacy service for Bedfordshire Hospitals Virtual Ward (inc virtual ward (VW) step-up, VW step down, hospital at home (H@H) and Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) services, which is consistent with the priorities and needs of the relevant Clinical Service Line. This should also be in line with local, regional and national policies and best practice including compliance with Medicines legislation. This will ensure the safe, clinical and cost effective use of medicines and staff resources.

To be responsible for delivering the defined service Key Performance Indicators and include close working with other Lead or Specialist Pharmacists.

To be responsible for the cross site provision ofHospitals Virtual Ward (inc virtual ward (VW) step-up, VW step down, hospital at home (H@H) and Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) services.

Clinically validate prescriptions medication according to Trust protocols and locally agreed standards and guidelines.

Responsible for the local development and adaptation of prescription templates for Hospitals Virtual Ward (inc virtual ward (VW) step-up, VW step down, hospital at home (H@H) and Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) services.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Date posted

31 March 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Compressed hours

Reference number

418-DTO4874-KA-A

Job locations

Luton & Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the the attached job description to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of the job.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the the attached job description to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of the job.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Clinical Diploma
  • GphC registration
  • Bachelor/Master of Pharmacy degree
  • Independent prescriber

Desirable

  • Clinical Diploma tutor/Educational Supervisor
  • Management courses
  • Train the trainer qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of specialist practitioner practice
  • Policy and service development
  • Experience in supervising and training staff

Desirable

  • Experience in delivering E&T to various health care professionals
  • Experience as Clinical Diploma Educational Supervisor
  • Staff line management experience

Skills

Essential

  • Good written & verbal skills
  • Ability to influence other professionals & communicate at consultant level
  • Ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines

Desirable

  • Ability to lead & implement directorate service strategies
  • Enthusiastic about development of pharmacy services
  • Team player
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Clinical Diploma
  • GphC registration
  • Bachelor/Master of Pharmacy degree
  • Independent prescriber

Desirable

  • Clinical Diploma tutor/Educational Supervisor
  • Management courses
  • Train the trainer qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of specialist practitioner practice
  • Policy and service development
  • Experience in supervising and training staff

Desirable

  • Experience in delivering E&T to various health care professionals
  • Experience as Clinical Diploma Educational Supervisor
  • Staff line management experience

Skills

Essential

  • Good written & verbal skills
  • Ability to influence other professionals & communicate at consultant level
  • Ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines

Desirable

  • Ability to lead & implement directorate service strategies
  • Enthusiastic about development of pharmacy services
  • Team player

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Luton & Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ


Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Luton & Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ


Employer's website

https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/working-here/ (Opens in a new tab)


For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Pharmacy Manager

Peter Seymour

peter.seymour@bedsft.nhs.uk

07733307611

Date posted

31 March 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Compressed hours

Reference number

418-DTO4874-KA-A

Job locations

Luton & Dunstable Hospital

Lewsey Road

Luton

LU4 0DZ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)