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Job summary

Main area
Pharmacy
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (plus on call/ late night/ weekend commitment)
Job ref
435-D134-26
Employer
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Royal Blackburn Hospital
Town
Blackburn
Salary
£49,387 - £56,515 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
31/07/2026 23:59

Employer heading

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust logo

Specialist Clinical Pharmacist – Critical Care, Anaesthetics & Surgery

NHS AfC: Band 7

At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care.  We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, motivated and clinically focused pharmacist to join the Pharmacy Directorate at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust as a Specialist Clinical Pharmacist – Critical Care, Anaesthetics and Surgery. Based at Royal Blackburn Hospital, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality, patient-centred pharmaceutical care across critical care, anaesthetic and surgical services.
 
This is an ideal opportunity for a pharmacist looking to develop advanced clinical practice within a supportive and progressive department. You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams, including consultants, nurses and allied health professionals, to optimise medicines use, improve patient outcomes and support safe and effective prescribing. The role includes participation in the weekly Critical Care MDT and involvement in quality improvement projects across the Lancashire and South Cumbria Critical Care and Major Trauma Operational Delivery Network.
 
The successful candidate will provide specialist pharmaceutical input to patients across critical care, anaesthetics and surgical specialties whilst contributing to service development, medicines governance, clinical audit, education and research activities. Independent Prescribing development and practice is supported in line with departmental strategy.

Main duties of the job

As a Specialist Clinical Pharmacist, you will:

    • Deliver a high-quality clinical pharmacy service to patients within Critical Care, Anaesthetics and Surgical specialties.
    • Work alongside consultants and multidisciplinary teams to optimise medicines use and ensure safe, evidence-based prescribing.
    • Participate in consultant ward rounds, medicines reconciliation, therapeutic drug monitoring and discharge planning.
    • Provide expert advice on complex medication-related issues to medical, nursing and allied healthcare professionals.
    • Support medicines safety, clinical governance, risk management and the investigation of medicines incidents and complaints.
    • Contribute to the development and implementation of medicines management policies, guidelines and clinical protocols.
    • Lead and participate in medicines optimisation audits, service evaluation and quality improvement initiatives.
    • Support the education, supervision and development of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and trainee healthcare professionals.
    • Help develop innovative pharmacy services including electronic prescribing, medicines management technology and technician-led initiatives.
    • Deputise for senior pharmacy colleagues when required and provide professional leadership within the clinical pharmacy team. 

       

      The post also includes participation in weekend and, where required, out-of-hours pharmacy services

Working for our organisation

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust provides high-quality hospital and community healthcare services for a population of over 550,000 across East Lancashire and surrounding areas. The Trust is committed to delivering safe, compassionate and innovative care whilst supporting staff to develop and reach their full potential.

The Pharmacy Directorate is a forward-thinking and highly regarded department which plays a central role in patient care, medicines optimisation and service improvement across the organisation. Our clinical pharmacy teams are integrated within specialty services and work closely with clinical colleagues to deliver excellent patient outcomes.

We are committed to supporting professional development and offer a wealth of opportunities including:

  • Independent Prescribing development.
  • Postgraduate education and specialist training.
  • Clinical leadership opportunities.
  • Involvement in research, audit and quality improvement projects.
  • Participation in regional and network-wide pharmacy initiatives.
  • Supportive multidisciplinary working and career progression pathways.

At ELHT, we value diversity, inclusion and wellbeing, and we are proud to provide a supportive environment where staff can thrive and make a real difference to the care of our patients.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See Job Description and Personal Specification for full details.

We are seeking an enthusiastic pharmacist who is:

  • Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
  • Committed to delivering high-quality patient care.
  • Passionate about medicines optimisation and patient safety.
  • Able to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
  • Motivated to develop advanced clinical and leadership skills.
  • Interested in contributing to service development and innovation within Critical Care, Anaesthetics and Surgery.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • MPharm Degree (4 years) or equivalent
  • Member GPhC
  • Postgraduate clinical diploma (or working towards)
Desirable criteria
  • UKCPA membership to Critical Care Group
  • Intensive Care Society Membership

Special Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Understanding of local and national NHS and Pharmaceutical Policy
  • Understanding of medicines legislation and guidance i.e. Medicines Act, Misuse of Drugs Act, Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines, Medicine Guidance Notes, MHRA Alerts
  • Understanding of clinical and risk management guidance as applied to Medicines Management
  • Broad range of understanding of clinical practice and knowledge of medical conditions
  • General knowledge of NHS developments including primary and secondary care
  • Understanding of clinical governance principles
  • Knowledge of external agencies concerned with patient safety NHSLA, NPSA, NPC

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Advanced practice in one or more relevant areas
  • Supervisory management of a team
  • Advanced clinical pharmacy experience and practice
  • Ability to deal with complex clinical issues
  • Reports to committees
  • Multidisciplinary working with medical and nursing staff
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of leading pharmacy services in primary or secondary care

Judgement

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrates clear thinking and able to analyse highly complex problems of an ethical, pharmaceutical, or clinical nature
  • Makes sound decisions with limited information
  • Intuition – anticipate difficulties and take appropriate action
  • Knows when to consult (own limitations
  • Reflects on own practice and learns from experience
  • Able to identify, prioritise and evaluate work

Communication Skills

Essential criteria
  • Good verbal and written communication
  • Courteous with all customers both internal and external including members of the public and other healthcare professionals
  • Able to communicate highly complex information of a clinical nature
  • Ability to influence senior Pharmacy and hospital staff and other people

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria
  • Has vision and imagination, initiative, creativity, able to see beyond barriers
  • Supportive and motivational
  • Can balance strong leadership and working within a team
  • Prioritises and meets deadlines
  • Mature in approach and has professional credibility
  • Able to be seen as a role model – reliable fair and balanced
  • Flexible
  • Systematic approach
  • Energetic and can enthuse, ‘can-do’ approach
  • Calm under pressure
  • Thrives on change

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardPositive about disabled peopleInvestors in PeopleCare quality commission - GoodDisability confident committedStep into healthHappy to Talk Flexible Working

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
Emma Watson
Job title
Divisional Lead Pharmacist-Surgery & Anaesthetics
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01254 732251
Additional information

If you would like to arrange an informal visit, please get in touch with either:

- Emma Watson [email protected] 01254 732251 - Divisional Lead for Surgery & Anaesthetics Services and Family Care

- Shaun Morgan [email protected] 01254 733740 Lead Pharmacist for Critical Care 

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