Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 430-CC26-1192A
- Employer
- Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Pharmacy (Dept)
- Town
- Milton Keynes
- Salary
- £57,528 - £64,750 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 25/11/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Principal Pharmacist - Planned Surgery & Pre-admissions
Band 8a
At Milton Keynes University Hospital, you will be welcomed into a friendly and supportive environment where teamwork and respect are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to live our Trust values and behaviours every day, creating a culture where everyone feels heard and valued.
MKUH staff's Motivation and Involvement scores are among the highest in our peer group, showing that our people feel inspired and included in decision-making (Staff Survey, 2024).
Our benefits
We believe in recognising and rewarding the amazing contribution of our staff and that is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and professional growth, including:
- Free on-site parking including EV charging
- Complimentary refreshments
- Flexible working arrangements
- Discounted gym membership
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Generous annual leave, with the option to bank holiday entitlement
- Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
- On-site nursery (charges apply)
- A wide-ranging staff health and wellbeing programme including EAP
- VIVUP products to support your mental, physical, and financial Wellbeing
Job overview
Principal Pharmacist – Planned Surgery & Pre-admission
Band 8a
Full Time (37.5hrs)
Are you an experienced pharmacist with a passion for the care of patients undergoing planned surgery? Are you keen to develop pre-admission services for planned surgery patients? Would you like to be part of our multi-disciplinary team who contribute to the care of these patients throughout their hospital journey? If this describes you, we invite you to get in touch with us.
Now is an excellent time to become part of the pharmacy team at MKUH; we are a friendly, forward-thinking, and innovative department who continue to grow in both size and influence. Recent enhancements to our working environment include a major departmental refurbishment, the introduction of a new Pharmacy Robot and automated CD dispensing cabinets, the establishment of a new Pharmacy and Aseptic Unit in the Cancer Centre, and the opening of a new Outpatient Pharmacy.
Our services are evolving to provide our pharmacists and pharmacy technicians with more time to work alongside patients while supporting their medical and nursing colleagues. Our commitment is to ensure that every patient receives safe, high-quality care, placing our patients at the heart of our mission. This role is an ideal opportunity for a skilled and dedicated pharmacist looking for experience at a more senior level.
Interview date: w/c 17th December 2026
Main duties of the job
We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute
As a result of an expansion in our Theatres capacity and to support the provision of clinical pharmacy services across the Surgery Division, we are looking for an enthusiastic, highly motivated pharmacist to join our team and lead the Medicines Optimisation services to planned surgery and pre-admission patients.
Working alongside the Clinical Pharmacy Manager for Surgery and the other Principal Pharmacists with the Surgery Dividion, you will be responsible for developing and delivering Medicines Optimisation and Clinical Pharmacy services across the surgical division and for the management of specialist, rotational and foundation pharmacists working within your area.
Our standard working hours consist of four long days (8 am to 6.30 pm) per week; in addition you will be required to work Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays on a rota basis. After a period of induction and training, you will contribute to the two-tier pharmacy out-of-hours service.
If successful, you will be joining a friendly and welcoming team and will enter a supportive and learning environment that encourages both professional and personal development.
For additional information about this post, please contact:
Reva Shah (Clinical Pharmacy Manager) on [email protected] or
Jill McDonald (Associate Director of Pharmacy – Clinical Services) on [email protected]
Working for our organisation
Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a “Good” rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.
As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.
We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre. We have just opened the Oak Wards - a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards.
Further investment is underway, including the recently approved Women and Children’s Centre, set to open by 2030.
Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH - News - Milton Keynes University Hospital -
For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Trust Responsibilities
· To be part of the pharmacy team and work with staff within the pharmacy department and across the Trust, to enable the objectives of the Trust to be achieved.
· To contribute to the Trust complying with Pharmacy procedures, Medicines Management standards, Clinical Governance and Risk Management.
Clinical Responsibilities
· To be responsible for the clinical screening of prescriptions according to locally agreed standards.
· To support the development and delivery of a strategy for the clinical pharmacy service now and in the future.
Professional Responsibilities
· To assist the Associate Director of Pharmacy (Clinical Services and ET&WD) and the Pharmacist Managers – Medicines Optimisation in all aspects of the development and delivery of clinical service to the division (with a focus on Planned Surgery & Preadmissions).
· To ensure that appropriate levels of service are provided to the division (with a focus on Endocrinology & Care of Older People) in accordance with statutory requirements and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Professional Standards for Hospital Pharmacy.
Operational Responsibilities
· To act as the clinical team lead for the pharmacy services to the division (with a focus on Planned Surgery & Preadmissions).
· To ensure quality indicators are identified, measured and achieved for clinical pharmacy services to the division (with a focus on Planned Surgery & Preadmissions).
Education and Training Responsibilities
· To act as an accredited tutor for relevant post graduate qualifications and meeting local requirements (as required).
· To act as a Designated Supervisor for Foundation Trainee Pharmacists in accordance with the requirements of the General Pharmaceutical Council (as required).
· To act as a Designated Prescribing Practitioner for Foundation Trainee Pharmacists in accordance with the requirements of the General Pharmaceutical Council (as required).
Human Resource Management Responsibilities
All posts with responsibility for managing staff are expected to lead, motivate, develop and reward staff and are required to comply with the Trust's policies and Manager's Code of Conduct in the following areas:
· To deputise for the Pharmacist Manager – Medicines Optimisation and represent the Milton Keynes Hospital at relevant departmental, local, regional and national meetings and forums.
Development and Planning
· To develop the pharmacy service in the areas you are responsible for and push the boundaries of what pharmacy can do in support of the medicines optimisation agenda
· To contribute to the planning and future development of all aspects services to the division (with a focus on Planned Surgery & Preadmissions).
Please refer to the job description for further details.
Person specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential criteria
- Degree in Pharmacy
- Registered with the GPhC
- Postgraduate Clinical Diploma
- Evidence of ongoing CPD as required by the GPhC
Desirable criteria
- Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
- MSc in Clinical Pharmacy Practice
- Independent Prescriber
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant post registration experience with at least 3 years in a hospital clinical post
- Proven experience in surgical services
- Experience of managing drug expenditure for a specialty and understanding budgets
- Previous evaluations reviews of medicines used in the specialty’s patient group.
- Experience as a trainer
- Experience working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide patient care
- Experience of audit work.
Desirable criteria
- Personnel management
- Service development
- An awareness of national standards and service delivery issues relevant to the directorate’s patient group.
- Experience of appraising staff and giving feedback
- Medicines Information
- Management qualification
- Introduction of a new service
- Project management
- Published work
- Knowledge of the medical management of disease in the specialty’s patients
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to manage time effectively and work to deadlines demonstrated in a previous post
- Ability to plan, prioritise and organise self and others
- Effective verbal and written communication demonstrated in a previous post.
- I.T. skills such as computer literacy, word processing and spreadsheet skills.
- Managerial skills
- Communication skills.
- Good presentation skills.
- Report writing
- Problem solving
- Good team work and ability to work alone
- Leadership skills
- Critical appraisal skills
- Radical thinking
Desirable criteria
- Innovative
- Ability to motivate and act as a role model
- Ability to use Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word
Personal and people development
Essential criteria
- Experience of supervising and developing colleagues
- Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
Communication
Essential criteria
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to influence others
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
Specific requirements
Essential criteria
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
- Jill McDonald
- Job title
- Deputy Chief Pharmacist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
We are looking for an individual who shows a commitment to delivering excellence and working with us to make pharmacy a great place to be, for all staff in our wider team. A can-do approach and commitment to self and service development is essential. If you are passionate about medicines optimisation and developing pharmacy services for the future, this post is an ideal opportunity for you to build upon your clinical experience and further develop your management and leadership skills.
List jobs with Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Health Science Services or all sectors