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Job summary

Main area
Band 8a
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Flexible working
37.5 hours per week
Job ref
216-CB-C7523001
Employer
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Town
Plymouth
Salary
£55,690 - £62,682 Per Annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
19/11/2025 23:59

Employer heading

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust logo

Advanced Specialist Pharmacist for Urgent and Emergency Care

NHS AfC: Band 8a

Job overview

Are you an enthusiastic, motivated and dynamic clinical pharmacist looking to take the next step in your career to specialise in Urgent and Emergency Care?

Would you like to work alongside other advanced specialist pharmacists and a growing UEC pharmacy team?

Are you at the stage of your career where you are looking to develop your clinical skills and work within well-respected and proactive multidisciplinary teams, delivering the specialist clinical pharmacy service to Urgent and Emergency Care? Involving Emergency Medicine, Acute Medicine, Minor Injuries and Same Day Emergency Care including pre-hospital care.

Do you want to be part of an innovative Department that have had an ambitious 5-year strategy and workforce plan approved by the Trust Board?

If so, we would love to hear from you!

If you would like further information, or to know the full terms of the Relocation Allowance, please contact [email protected] for further details.

Candidates who meet the qualifications for this post but may not yet demonstrate the full knowledge or experience required at Band 8a will still be considered for this role as a Band 7 to Band 8a progression opportunity. The successful candidate will receive the necessary support to achieve the required progression milestones and demonstrate the expected level of practice before progressing to an advanced specialist Band 8a role.

 

Main duties of the job

·       This post holder will be responsible for the provision of a high-quality patient focused clinical pharmacy service for patients within the Urgent and Emergency Care areas (acute medicine and same day emergency care)

·       Act as team leader for the ward-based pharmacy team and as a team member

for the Urgent and Emergency Care pharmacy team.

·       Undertake teaching and clinical supervision of pharmacy staff and other healthcare employees.

·       Provide specialist clinical pharmacy services and advice to the clinical specialties, demonstrating a high level of clinical effectiveness.

·       Work closely with Lead Pharmacist Urgent and Emergency Care, and Associate Chief Pharmacist for Clinical Services on the strategic development of clinical pharmacy services and establish clearly defined roles for pharmacist non- medical prescribers within the Urgent and Emergency Care areas.

·       Develop and manage the delivery of pharmacy services to ensure efficient use of resources and systems including monitoring drug expenditure, delivery of financial savings within the Urgent and Emergency Care areas.

·       Develop and build increased pharmacist presence into outpatients clinical areas.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

 

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) NHS is the largest hospital on the Southwest Peninsula providing comprehensive secondary & tertiary care to a population of around 2,000,000 people who can access our specialist services including cardiothoracic surgery, kidney transplantation, neurosurgery & the regional trauma Centre. Our specialist cancer treatments include bone marrow transplant, sarcoma surgery and hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancer surgery (not exhaustive). We work closely with our community partners delivering health & social care.

It’s an exciting time to join the Trust as we prepare to implement a new Electronic Patient Record system, EPIC, scheduled to go live in July 2026.

The Acute and Emergency Medicine areas provide a high-quality patient focused service across Plymouth, and the Southwest region as the tertiary Major Trauma Centre for Devon and Cornwall. The Departments are based both at University Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust where all acute and urgent care for patients takes place, and across community sites within Urgent Treatment Centres and Minor Injury Units. The Emergency Department in Plymouth sees over 100,000 people every year which is the same as filling up Home Park stadium six times over! We see all people in our department, but are also a specialist hospital for major trauma, cardiology, neurology and neurosurgery, to name but a few.

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

·       Responsible to the Lead Pharmacist Urgent and Emergency and Associate Chief Pharmacist Clinical Services for strategic planning and delivery of clinical pharmacy services to patients within Urgent and Emergency Care.

·       Support the Chief Pharmacist / Deputy Chief Pharmacist / Associate Chief

Pharmacist and Lead Pharmacist in developing, monitoring and reporting on drug expenditure and medicines budget and the delivery of financial savings as part of the pharmacy financial improvement programme.

·       Development, implementation and update of clinical pharmacy policy in

conjunction with senior pharmacists within Urgent and Emergency Care.

·       Work as a member of the Clinical Pharmacy Team, Urgent and Emergency Care Service Lines and wider UHP pharmacy team.

·       Monitor, review and report on medicines related incidents within Urgent and Emergency Care.

·       Provide highly specialist clinical pharmacy care to patients in the Urgent and Emergency Care areas and related units.

·       To manage, lead and co-ordinate the Urgent and Emergency Care pharmacy team including junior pharmacists and technicians in the provision of a safe, effective and efficient clinical pharmacy service in accordance with local and national standards and strategy and to ensure all members of the pharmacy team are trained and competent for their roles.

·       To act as a role model as a clinical pharmacist and team leader, to pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, ATOs and all other members of the multidisciplinary team.

·       To be a lead and role model in the field of Urgent and Emergency Care locally, regionally, and nationally.

·       To practice as an independent prescriber.

·       To work towards advanced clinical practice.

·       To engage with Quality Improvement and practice research.

·       To write and review policies and procedures relevant to pharmacy practice in Urgent and Emergency Care.

·       Monitor and evaluate medicines related protocols and guidelines in Urgent and Emergency Care.

·       Ensure an appropriate level of clinical pharmacy service is provided to the Urgent and Emergency Care areas.

·       Propose policy or service changes which improve services and may have multidisciplinary and resource implications

·       Configure and implement inductions for pharmacists in Urgent and Emergency Care and the pharmacy department with support from the Associate Chief Pharmacist - Clinical Services and Lead Pharmacists.

·       Assist in the development and implementation of PGD’s and non-medical

prescribing initiatives, when appropriate.

·       Ensure that expertise within your area is seen as a resource within and outside the Trust and form working partnerships with other health and social care service

 

 

providers.

·       Recommendation of appropriate therapy for individual patients where evidence is not available, controversial evidence exists or other professionals may challenge advice

·       Contribute to the organisations wider antimicrobial surveillance programme,

implementing local programmes ensuring appropriate antimicrobial prescribing

·       Attendance at Consultant/GP white board/MDT meetings/ward rounds to actively facilitate and provide advice on treatment, including highly complex patients.

·       Promote compliance by prescribers and other healthcare staff with local/national policies and the South and West Devon Formulary.

·       Application of highly complex knowledge of the evidence base behind drug therapies used.

·       Manage day to day medicines queries, including face to face consultations with patients identified to have compliance or other problems in medicine administration.

·       Refer patients to other community services where appropriate.

·       Liaise with all levels of healthcare staff, patients and carers in all areas of work.

·       Analysis, interpretation and monitoring of clinical data including but not limited to: drug levels, U&E’s, blood counts and microbiological sensitivities to guide diagnosis and drug therapy.

·       Assess clinical requirements of patients as a clinical pharmacist and an

independent prescriber through interpretation of clinical data and examination. If required request appropriate tests and examinations for patients directly under your care.

·       Contribute to pharmaceutical initiatives that help with the seamless transfer of

patients between different healthcare settings.

·       Provide education and training to all healthcare professionals including medical students.

·       Pharmacists are expected to work largely unsupervised and to act on their own professional judgement.

·       Clinical supervision from another health professional can be arranged and is to be encouraged.

·       Clinical roles are supported by policies and guidelines within which the pharmacist is allowed to exercise professional discretion / interpretation.

·       Participate in any wider departmental rotas where needed.

 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Master’s Degree (or equivalent) in Pharmacy
  • Postgraduate Clinical Pharmacy Certificate.
  • Current registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
  • Postgraduate Clinical Pharmacy Diploma.
  • Non-medical prescriber (or must be willing to undertake this when requested).
Desirable criteria
  • Current registration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
  • Member of the United Kingdom Clinical Pharmacy Association (UKCPA).
  • Active member of Urgent and Emergency Care Group within UKCPA or equivalent pharmacist specialist interest group.
  • Postgraduate leadership qualification
  • Postgraduate qualification in specialty.

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria
  • Excellent proven knowledge of clinical pharmacy and drug use with the area of Urgent and Emergency Care.
  • Demonstrable experience in a range of clinical specialties.
  • Excellent proven knowledge of general clinical pharmacy and drug use.
  • Proven skills in effective leadership, successful communication, negotiating, persuasion and influencing.
  • Proven knowledge of strategic care agendas.
  • Understanding of NHS priorities and how to apply these locally.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills to address highly complex issues.
  • Report writing skills.
  • Proven evidence of CPD.
  • Demonstrable experience of teaching, training and people development.
  • Demonstrable experience of providing diploma mentorship and/or pre-registration tutorship.
  • Multidisciplinary working / ward round demonstrable experience.
Desirable criteria
  • Proven knowledge of treatment pathways and commissioning of therapies for the treatment of drug use with the area of Urgent and Emergency Care.
  • Previous demonstrable experience of providing support to the management of a hospital directorate or division.
  • Senior pharmacy management demonstrable experience within a recognised area of pharmacy practice.
  • Demonstrable experience of designing and developing pharmacy services.
  • Demonstrable experience in presenting research.
  • Demonstrable experience in budget management and staff management.

Aptitude & Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Good communication skills, written and verbal, with ability to demonstrate fluency, clarity and effectiveness at all levels.
  • Time management skills.
Desirable criteria
  • Well-developed teaching and presentation skills.
  • Proven knowledge and understanding of financial issues

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Disability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Natasha Moore
Job title
Associate Chief Pharmacist - Clinical Services
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01752 430454
Additional information

For an informal discussion or to arrange a site visit please contact Natasha Moore, Associate Chief Pharmacist – Clinical Services (Interim), University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust [email protected] or Antony Mitchell, Lead Pharmacist for Urgent and Emergency Care, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust [email protected].

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