County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
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. We are a high performing organisation with a track record of success.
As a pharmacy service we pride ourselves in working at the leading edge of clinical pharmacy practice and medicines management with our teams achieving national recognition for innovative, high-quality patient care.
We are looking for a dynamic and forward thinking Senior Clinical Pharmacist with a specialist interest in caring for frailty patients, to join the CDDFT team.
The post will be based at Darlington Memorial Hospital but the post holder will be required to visit the other main sites in order to deliver key objectives.
Main duties of the job
This clinical role provides excellent opportunities to develop specialist knowledge and work closely with an established frailty team to provide a meaningful clinical input into the care of patients. There are well established, good working relationships between pharmacy and the frailty teams and a key part of the role will be to continue to work closely with the MDT to deliver the governance agenda, teaching, safety improvements, and further develop the role.
Key developments in frailty at CDDFT include acute frailty teams, and new in spring 2025 an acute frailty unit providing same day emergency care and Hospital @ Home totaling 60 beds across the trust.
The successful candidate will be supported with mentoring and development opportunities including independent prescribing, RPS portfolio development and other education opportunities. Applicants need to be able to work autonomously, and be a team player whilst motivating others.
The post will provide leadership and expertise to the other pharmacists and technicians within the Trust and will support the Lead Pharmacists in moving the Trust pharmacy strategy forward.
About us
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.
From April 1 2024 we are unable to offer sponsorship for healthcare roles that do not meet the minimum salary. If you are in the UK on a VISA please ensure you have no restrictions that would prevent you from taking this post.
Job responsibilities
1. 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.
2. Provide and support the delivery and development of pharmacy and medicines management services within the trust, including involvement in research and audit.
3. Work closely with the other Trust specialist frailty pharmacists to develop the service across all trust sites.
4. Maintain and develop a portfolio of personal clinical activity within the trust at a level commensurate with a senior pharmacist.
5. Employ models of practice that recognise the needs of patients and carers whilst maintaining practice that is embedded in the principles of risk minimisation and patient safety.
6. Supervise, support and develop other pharmacy staff, in particular junior pharmacists, trainee pharmacists, and other Trust personnel as required.
7. Monitor the practice of other healthcare professionals, including medical staff, to ensure that prescribing and medicines use is safe and effective for patients.
8. 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.
9. Liaise with other pharmacy teams, healthcare professionals and agencies both within and external to the Trust to consider medicine management issues across boundaries.
10. Influence local practice to ensure safe medication use.
11. 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 Skills & Knowledge
* 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.
* 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.
Qualifications
* Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent.
* Relevant post graduate clinical qualification (to at least diploma level).
* Evidence of CPD and education.
* Qualified Pharmacist Independent Prescriber or working towards the qualification.
Experience
* 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 managing a team.
* Experience of providing basic HR support.
Statutory Registration
* Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
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.
County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
£53,755 to £60,504 a year per annum, pro rata
#J-18808-Ljbffr