Senior Clinical Pharmacist - Cardiology

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 13 May 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced, forward thinking and enthusiastic clinical pharmacist to join our CDDFT pharmacy team as the senior pharmacist for cardiology at DMH.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest integrated care providers in England, serving a population of around 600,000 people.

Our teams aim to provide high quality and joined-up care to our patients and we pride ourselves on our clinical pharmacy teams being able to spend the majority of their time providing direct patient care.

You will be an integral member of the cardiology medicine MDT at University Hospital North Durham where the post holder will have the opportunity to build the clinical pharmacy service and further develop existing multi-disciplinary team relationships. Attendance at other sites, including University Hospital of North Durham may be required in order to deliver key objectives.

You will belong to a team that is committed to supporting staff health and well-being as well as professional development in order to help you to achieve your full potential.

Main duties of the job

Should you be successful, you will work closely with the consultants and wider MDT to deliver the trust values of safe, compassionate and joined up care. Our mission is 'right first time, every time'.

You will demonstrate leadership in the cardiology speciality and provide specialist advice on medicines use. This will include professional collaboration to develop services and to support the team with evidence-based practice and pharmaceutical issues.

You will be involved in building relationships between pharmacy and the ward team and a key part of the role will be to deliver the governance agenda, teaching, quality improvement, service development and sustainability. We will support the successful candidate with mentoring and development opportunities including practicing as an independent prescriber, advanced/ consultant portfolio development and other further education opportunities.

You will provide leadership to other pharmacy staff and will support the Lead Pharmacists in moving the trust's pharmacy strategy forward. You need to be able to work autonomously, whilst motivating others and being a team player.

About us

If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager

You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented

Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents

Over reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success

For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.

From April 9th 2025 - Healthcare assistants - You must have a minimum of two years of experience working within the NHS as a HCA for the Trust to consider sponsorship (we will only consider sponsorship if you meet this criteria and have a current visa expiring within 3 months)

Date posted

29 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9439-2526-0030-1

Job locations

Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust

Hollyhurst Road

Darlington

County Durham

DL3 6HX


Job description

Job responsibilities

To facilitate a 7 day pharmacy service, all pharmacists contribute to an on call, late and weekend rota.

Flexible working conversations are welcomed.

We encourage you to get in touch if you have any questions about the role

Key responsibilities:

Lead and manage a team of pharmacy staff and be responsible for managing the delivery of safe, effective and efficient pharmacy and medicines management services to a defined group of patients and service users.

Provide and support the delivery and development of pharmacy and medicines management services within the trust, including involvement in research and audit.

Work closely with the other Trust specialist pharmacists to develop the service across all trust sites. This will include representing the directorate at speciality meetings, providing training to pharmacy staff, providing specialist advice and expertise to all members of the directorate, the Trust and the wider health economy.

Maintain and develop a portfolio of personal clinical activity within the trust at a level commensurate with a senior pharmacist.

Employ models of practice that recognises the needs of patients and carers whilst maintaining practice that is embedded in the principles of risk minimisation and patient safety

Supervise, support and develop other pharmacy staff, in particular junior pharmacists, trainee pharmacists, and other Trust personnel as required

Monitor the practice of other healthcare professionals, including medical staff, to ensure that prescribing and medicines use is safe and effective for patients. This would include the resolution of local prescribing issues and contribution to the education and training of clinical and non-clinical staff to promote safe and effective medicines use within the trust.

Work closely with patients and healthcare professionals including consultant staff and Care Group leads to ensure services are developed and delivered in a manner that is consistent with the priorities and needs of patients and other service providers.

Liaise with other pharmacy teams, healthcare professionals and agencies both within and external to the Trust to consider medicine management issues across boundaries

Influence local practice to ensure safe medication use, and to ensure that their own practice and the practice of others effectively acknowledge good prescribing practice, patient safety and risk minimisation.

Act as a member of the site based senior pharmacy management team, contributing to strategy, policy development, operational delivery and financial planning

Job description

Job responsibilities

To facilitate a 7 day pharmacy service, all pharmacists contribute to an on call, late and weekend rota.

Flexible working conversations are welcomed.

We encourage you to get in touch if you have any questions about the role

Key responsibilities:

Lead and manage a team of pharmacy staff and be responsible for managing the delivery of safe, effective and efficient pharmacy and medicines management services to a defined group of patients and service users.

Provide and support the delivery and development of pharmacy and medicines management services within the trust, including involvement in research and audit.

Work closely with the other Trust specialist pharmacists to develop the service across all trust sites. This will include representing the directorate at speciality meetings, providing training to pharmacy staff, providing specialist advice and expertise to all members of the directorate, the Trust and the wider health economy.

Maintain and develop a portfolio of personal clinical activity within the trust at a level commensurate with a senior pharmacist.

Employ models of practice that recognises the needs of patients and carers whilst maintaining practice that is embedded in the principles of risk minimisation and patient safety

Supervise, support and develop other pharmacy staff, in particular junior pharmacists, trainee pharmacists, and other Trust personnel as required

Monitor the practice of other healthcare professionals, including medical staff, to ensure that prescribing and medicines use is safe and effective for patients. This would include the resolution of local prescribing issues and contribution to the education and training of clinical and non-clinical staff to promote safe and effective medicines use within the trust.

Work closely with patients and healthcare professionals including consultant staff and Care Group leads to ensure services are developed and delivered in a manner that is consistent with the priorities and needs of patients and other service providers.

Liaise with other pharmacy teams, healthcare professionals and agencies both within and external to the Trust to consider medicine management issues across boundaries

Influence local practice to ensure safe medication use, and to ensure that their own practice and the practice of others effectively acknowledge good prescribing practice, patient safety and risk minimisation.

Act as a member of the site based senior pharmacy management team, contributing to strategy, policy development, operational delivery and financial planning

Person Specification

Special Requirements

Essential

  • Good oral and written communication skills Able to build good relationships with colleagues, and influence the practice and behaviours of others in a positive way Self-motivation and ability to motivate others Team player
  • Desire to develop clinical skills
  • Able to prioritise own workload
  • Reliable work record

Desirable

  • Good presentation skills

Special Skills & Knowledge

Essential

  • Good understanding of medicines reconciliation and how it fits into the larger function of hospital pharmacy. Ability to apply theoretical knowledge to ward/clinic based situation. Provision of complex information on medicines use, clinical pharmacy and financial issues to senior Consultants and managers. Membership of regional / national / international specialist interest groups relevant to field of practice. Demonstrable leadership, management and supervisory skills. Demonstrable teaching / tutoring skills with evidence of ability to deliver training to a wide-range of healthcare staff, e.g. pharmacy, nursing, medical. Involvement in development of evidence-based clinical guidelines and protocols. Sound knowledge of MI resources. Good understanding of current pharmacy issues. Demonstrable understanding of key drivers, financial pressures and constraints within the NHS.

Desirable

  • Ability to demonstrate an area of expertise within a field of pharmacy practice. Evidence of active contribution to relevant specialist interest groups. Record of research and/or audit and/or scholarly publications

Qualifications

Essential

  • Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent Completed a suitable postgraduate qualification (eg Clinical diploma) or demonstrated sufficient experience to meet RPS post-registration foundation competence standards
  • Evidence of CPD and education
  • Independent Prescriber or willing to work towards

Desirable

  • Post graduate Masters qualification in a relevant pharmacy subject. Post graduate management qualification. Working towards a development portfolio, i.e. credentialing at advanced practice defined by the RPS. Teaching experience in clinical and classroom settings

Experience

Essential

  • Experience in leading and developing highly developed near-patient clinical pharmacy services. Able to work as an autonomous practitioner in all areas of pharmacy practice. Experience of developing good relationships with other health care professionals. Experience of providing directorate pharmacist services e.g. budgetary reports, drug usage reviews, development of drug protocols, specialist drug information etc. Experience of both undertaking and supervising audit of clinical practice. Evidence of involvement in multidisciplinary service development

Desirable

  • Experience of managing a team Experience of providing basic HR support. Practice Research experience. Contribution to publications/conference presentations

Statutory Registration

Essential

  • Registered as a Practicing Pharmacist with the GPhC

Desirable

  • Membership of RPS or a relevant Clinical Pharmacy Organisation appropriate to the subject area
Person Specification

Special Requirements

Essential

  • Good oral and written communication skills Able to build good relationships with colleagues, and influence the practice and behaviours of others in a positive way Self-motivation and ability to motivate others Team player
  • Desire to develop clinical skills
  • Able to prioritise own workload
  • Reliable work record

Desirable

  • Good presentation skills

Special Skills & Knowledge

Essential

  • Good understanding of medicines reconciliation and how it fits into the larger function of hospital pharmacy. Ability to apply theoretical knowledge to ward/clinic based situation. Provision of complex information on medicines use, clinical pharmacy and financial issues to senior Consultants and managers. Membership of regional / national / international specialist interest groups relevant to field of practice. Demonstrable leadership, management and supervisory skills. Demonstrable teaching / tutoring skills with evidence of ability to deliver training to a wide-range of healthcare staff, e.g. pharmacy, nursing, medical. Involvement in development of evidence-based clinical guidelines and protocols. Sound knowledge of MI resources. Good understanding of current pharmacy issues. Demonstrable understanding of key drivers, financial pressures and constraints within the NHS.

Desirable

  • Ability to demonstrate an area of expertise within a field of pharmacy practice. Evidence of active contribution to relevant specialist interest groups. Record of research and/or audit and/or scholarly publications

Qualifications

Essential

  • Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent Completed a suitable postgraduate qualification (eg Clinical diploma) or demonstrated sufficient experience to meet RPS post-registration foundation competence standards
  • Evidence of CPD and education
  • Independent Prescriber or willing to work towards

Desirable

  • Post graduate Masters qualification in a relevant pharmacy subject. Post graduate management qualification. Working towards a development portfolio, i.e. credentialing at advanced practice defined by the RPS. Teaching experience in clinical and classroom settings

Experience

Essential

  • Experience in leading and developing highly developed near-patient clinical pharmacy services. Able to work as an autonomous practitioner in all areas of pharmacy practice. Experience of developing good relationships with other health care professionals. Experience of providing directorate pharmacist services e.g. budgetary reports, drug usage reviews, development of drug protocols, specialist drug information etc. Experience of both undertaking and supervising audit of clinical practice. Evidence of involvement in multidisciplinary service development

Desirable

  • Experience of managing a team Experience of providing basic HR support. Practice Research experience. Contribution to publications/conference presentations

Statutory Registration

Essential

  • Registered as a Practicing Pharmacist with the GPhC

Desirable

  • Membership of RPS or a relevant Clinical Pharmacy Organisation appropriate to the subject area

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.

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.

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

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust

Hollyhurst Road

Darlington

County Durham

DL3 6HX


Employer's website

https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust

Hollyhurst Road

Darlington

County Durham

DL3 6HX


Employer's website

https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


For questions about the job, contact:

Deputy Chief Pharmacist

Rachel Smith

Rachel-e.smith@nhs.net

01325743477

Date posted

29 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9439-2526-0030-1

Job locations

Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust

Hollyhurst Road

Darlington

County Durham

DL3 6HX


Supporting documents

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