Job summary
We're looking for an Advanced Specialist Pharmacist - Women and Children to join our dynamic and supportive pharmacy team at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
This is a fantastic opportunity to lead and shape a high-quality, patient-focused pharmacy service within the Women's and Children's Clinical Service Line, which includes paediatrics, neonatology, maternity, and gynaecology. You'll play a key role in promoting the safe, effective, and cost-efficient use of medicines, working in close collaboration with consultants, nurses, and multidisciplinary teams at Bedford Hospital.
As a senior member of our pharmacy leadership team, your responsibilities will include:
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Delivering expert clinical input, including independent prescribing within your scope of practice
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Supervising, mentoring, and supporting junior pharmacists, trainees, and pharmacy technicians
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Leading audits, service improvement initiatives, and practice-based research to enhance patient care
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Developing and implementing policies and guidelines to optimise medicines use and drive best practice
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Supporting education and training across pharmacy, medical, and nursing teams
We're seeking someone with advanced clinical expertise in women's and children's health, excellent communication and leadership skills, and the confidence to influence practice across multidisciplinary teams.
Main duties of the job
Main Duties of the Job
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Lead, plan, and deliver a high-quality, patient-centred clinical pharmacy service across Women's and Children's services, including paediatrics, neonatology, maternity, and gynaecology.
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Provide expert clinical advice and support to multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe, effective, and cost-efficient use of medicines.
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Act as an independent prescriber within your defined scope of practice, supporting medicines optimisation and improved patient outcomes.
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Supervise, mentor, and support junior pharmacists, pre-registration trainees, and pharmacy technicians, fostering professional growth and clinical excellence.
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Contribute to clinical governance, audits, and research initiatives aimed at enhancing patient safety and service quality.
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Develop, implement, and monitor medicines management policies, guidelines, and Key Performance Indicators specific to the specialty.
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Deliver and support education and training for pharmacy, medical, and nursing staff to promote best practice and continuous learning.
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.
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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job, please review for the full details and responsibilities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job, please review for the full details and responsibilities.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Extensive post-registration hospital experience as a clinical pharmacist in Women and Children at band 7 or 8a level
- Experience of collaborative working in multidisciplinary settings as an influential member
- Experience of policy and service development
- Experience of managing and delivering a project
- Experience in clinically supervising and training staff
- Relevant continued professional development
Desirable
- Evidence of specialist practitioner practice
- Risk Management and patient safety processes
- Research and Audit experience to improve patient care
- Line management experience
- Experience of delivering education and training to undergraduates and postgraduates of various health professionals
- Presentation to trust wide meetings
Qualifications
Essential
- Pharmacy Degree (Masters Level)
- Registration with the GPhC
- Post graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent
- Member of NPPG
- Independent Prescribing qualification
Desirable
- Member of the RPS
- Stage II Faculty Member of the RPS (MIFRPS)
- Non-Medical Prescriber
- Quality Improvement Training
- Accredited Diploma Tutor
- Management Training
Personal Skills
Essential
- Organised and able to plan, prioritise and manage work programmes
- Appropriate IT skills are required to utilise clinical information systems, pharmacy computer systems, databases and other software to improve patient care
- Demonstrable advanced level of clinical reasoning and judgement. Ability to apply logical and analytical skills to manage clinical risk during the use of medicines
- Critical review/analysis and interpretation of clinical literature and medicines legislation
Desirable
- Ability to formulate, lead and implement directorate service strategies
- Ability to integrate research into practice
Knowledge
Essential
- Advanced clinical knowledge of drugs and therapeutic trends within the specialist area
- Expert knowledge and understanding of relevant standards and guidelines
- Knowledge and awareness of implications of current developments in pharmacy practice and NHS strategies
- Understanding the need of confidentiality awareness at all times
Desirable
- Advanced level of clinical reasoning and judgement. Ability to apply logical and analytical skills to mange clinical risk during the use of medicine
- Awareness of the current commissioning arrangements in the NHS
- Recognised as a specialist within the defined speciality
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Extensive post-registration hospital experience as a clinical pharmacist in Women and Children at band 7 or 8a level
- Experience of collaborative working in multidisciplinary settings as an influential member
- Experience of policy and service development
- Experience of managing and delivering a project
- Experience in clinically supervising and training staff
- Relevant continued professional development
Desirable
- Evidence of specialist practitioner practice
- Risk Management and patient safety processes
- Research and Audit experience to improve patient care
- Line management experience
- Experience of delivering education and training to undergraduates and postgraduates of various health professionals
- Presentation to trust wide meetings
Qualifications
Essential
- Pharmacy Degree (Masters Level)
- Registration with the GPhC
- Post graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent
- Member of NPPG
- Independent Prescribing qualification
Desirable
- Member of the RPS
- Stage II Faculty Member of the RPS (MIFRPS)
- Non-Medical Prescriber
- Quality Improvement Training
- Accredited Diploma Tutor
- Management Training
Personal Skills
Essential
- Organised and able to plan, prioritise and manage work programmes
- Appropriate IT skills are required to utilise clinical information systems, pharmacy computer systems, databases and other software to improve patient care
- Demonstrable advanced level of clinical reasoning and judgement. Ability to apply logical and analytical skills to manage clinical risk during the use of medicines
- Critical review/analysis and interpretation of clinical literature and medicines legislation
Desirable
- Ability to formulate, lead and implement directorate service strategies
- Ability to integrate research into practice
Knowledge
Essential
- Advanced clinical knowledge of drugs and therapeutic trends within the specialist area
- Expert knowledge and understanding of relevant standards and guidelines
- Knowledge and awareness of implications of current developments in pharmacy practice and NHS strategies
- Understanding the need of confidentiality awareness at all times
Desirable
- Advanced level of clinical reasoning and judgement. Ability to apply logical and analytical skills to mange clinical risk during the use of medicine
- Awareness of the current commissioning arrangements in the NHS
- Recognised as a specialist within the defined speciality
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.
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.
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).
