Senior Pharmacist - Critical Care

Employer King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Denmark Hill Town London Salary £58,133 - £65,261 per annum, inc HCA Salary period Yearly Closing 26/07/2026 23:59

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£2.1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 14,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King’s College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.

We encourage all our staff to have a healthy work/life balance. In doing so, you can apply for flexible working from the beginning of your employment. We offer a range of options which are designed to suit different circumstances and priorities in line with service requirements.

The post holder will work as part of a dedicated pharmacy team to provide and develop specialist clinical pharmacy services to the Care Group. The post holder will liaise between wards, departments and pharmacy to ensure that pharmacy services are tailored to meet the Critical Care Care Group’s needs wherever possible.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will participate in the following services:

• Act as a deputy for Principal Pharmacist when necessary.
• Participate in the multidisciplinary team delivering and promoting high quality, cost-effective, patient-focused pharmaceutical care to patients.
• Provide interface and discharge liaison, and support to the wards & units within the Care Group.
• Consistently lead on the provision of clinical pharmacy services to the many sub-specialties within the Care Group and ensure a high level of clinical pharmacy input.
• Act as a clinical role model, and supervise rotational staff at ward level.
• Promote the safe drug use within the specialty.
• Develop, implement and audit local guidelines.
• Audit usage of medicines in the Care Group with the aim of promoting cost effective prescribing.
• Assist in the financial reporting to the Care Group and drug budget management.
• Ensure seamless pharmaceutical care on discharge, liaising with other pharmacists and healthcare professionals (primary and secondary) taking over care of the patient.

Working for our organisation

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. Transforming Healthcare is the vision at the heart of the King’s Strategy – 2026 to 2031. Together, we are pursuing six strategic ambitions: delivering high-quality patient care; being a great place to work; leading pioneering research, innovation and education; building strong and successful partnerships; providing timely and efficient care; and ensuring long-term financial sustainability. Achieving these ambitions will require all of us to work as one Team King’s, united by a shared commitment to our values of being caring, collaborative, inclusive and innovative. By living these values every day, we will transform healthcare for our patients, our communities and each other.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Leadership

• To propose and implement policies, guidelines and procedures designed to improve the pharmacy service to patients and the Care Group in conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist Critical Care.
• To comment on policy and service changes and plans within the clinical pharmacy service and to contribute to, and participate in, pharmacy service developments in line with departmental and Trust policy.
• To develop, implement and audit prescribing guidelines for use within the division in conjunction with the Principal Pharmacist Critical Care.
• To deputise for the Principal Pharmacist Critical Care where necessary.
• To participate regularly in the multidisciplinary ward rounds as appropriate, and assist in the further development of the pharmacist’s role within the Care Group.
• To assist in the development, implementation and audit of evidence-based prescribing guidelines.
• To ensure services provided are in line with local and national policies, guidelines and frameworks.
• To contribute and adhere to clinical pharmacy service standards.
• To proactively support the development of ward and clinical pharmacy services to clinical areas in order to advance the safe, clinically effective and cost effective use of drugs.

Clinical Responsibilities

• To act as a specialist practitioner in the clinical area.
• To promote and deliver pharmaceutical care specifically for Critical Care patients within the Care Group and more generally for all patients.
• To contribute and adhere to clinical pharmacy service standards.
• To provide highly specialised evidence-based clinical advice and information to nursing and medical staff on the care and treatment of patients.
• To actively participate regularly in multidisciplinary ward rounds, antibiotic ward rounds and other multidisciplinary meetings as appropriate, delivering and promoting high quality, cost-effective, patient-focused pharmaceutical care.
• To contribute to and participate in the clinical/ward pharmacy service.
• Where appropriate and necessary to practice as a prescriber in area of own expertise, as appropriate, and provide direct high quality of care to Critical Care patients.
• To ensure appropriate and timely supply of medication to patients in conjunction with dispensary staff.
• To liaise with other pharmacists/healthcare professionals to ensure efficient transfer of clinical and medicines management issues.
• To participate in patient education and counselling schemes for all Critical Care patients/carers.
• To ensure appropriate and timely supply of medication to patients, including participation in the POD scheme.
• To practice as an independent prescriber, in area of own expertise, as appropriate and provide direct high quality of care to inpatients and outpatients within scope of practice.
• To liaise with other Pharmacists, Doctors and GPs to ensure efficient transfer of clinical and medicines management issues.
• To participate in Trust adverse incident reporting scheme.
• To support the Principal Pharmacist in monitoring drug expenditure within the Care Group and provide accurate expenditure information, with appropriate analysis, to the Clinical Director and General manager.
• To identify areas of potential cost-savings within the Care Group, and to implement systems to realise savings and contain prescribing costs.
• Using horizon scanning techniques identify future high cost medications.
• To support the development and implementation of policies to control drug expenditure and ensure cost-effective prescribing.
• To educate other healthcare professionals on the costs associated with drug therapy and promote evidence-based, cost-effective prescribing within the care group.
• To attend Care Group or Specialty financial meetings when required.
• To work across traditional boundaries e.g. primary and secondary care.
• To optimise the use of homecare providers to ensure VAT savings are realised as necessary.

People Management and Performance

• To lead, coach and manage the performance of junior staff in line with good people management practices, ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
• To participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure line reports have a clear set of objectives and development plans.
• Ensure direct reports are compliant with all statutory, mandatory training together with any professional training requirements.
• Manage absences of direct reports including sickness in line with Trust policy ensuring the appropriate return to work meetings occur, e‑roster is updated and productivity is kept to the highest possible level.
• Support with the recruitment of the team in line with the Trust’s recruitment policy and process.
• Identify talent and support the internal talent management process in order attract and retain and succession plan for your people.
• Ensure overall wellbeing of the team is maintained. Continuously support in improving the morale of the team and implementing a culture of zero‑tolerance for bullying and harassment.
• To participate in teaching and supervising students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
• To act as postgraduate tutor for Diploma students.
• To act as a tutor for trainee pharmacists.
• To participate in teaching nurses, medical staff, and AHPs.
• To participate in the recruitment and selection of pharmacy students, trainee pharmacists, and junior pharmacists as needed.
• To regularly train, supervise and assess at ward level junior pharmacy staff providing a ward/clinical pharmacy service to wards within the Care Group.
• To supervise, train and assess at ward level, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, trainee pharmacists and students.
• To participate in the in-service clinical pharmacy training of all pharmacy staff.
• To undertake CPD to ensure that knowledge is continually updated.
• To participate regularly in the induction, training and development of medical, nursing and other healthcare staff.

Research and Service Development

• To regularly lead, participate in and co‑ordinate relevant research or audit projects.
• To participate in audit and practice research to investigate and where appropriate improve the quality of service.
• To publish and present the results and outcomes of own research and audits locally, nationally or internationally as appropriate.
• To liaise with clinical trial nursing and pharmacy staff with regards to monitoring and continuing supply of trial medicines to patients.

General

• To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• We want to be an organisation where everyone shares a commitment to delivering the very best care and feels like their contribution is valuable and valued.
• At King’s we are a kind, respectful team.
• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
• This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder. It will automatically be reviewed in the event that the post becomes vacant. The Deputy Chief Pharmacist, Clinical Services will review the job description.
• All employees must hold an 'nhs.net' email account which will be the Trust's formal route for email communication.
• Everyone is responsible for promoting inclusion no matter their role or team. At King’s, we want to create an environment where everyone feels valued, respected and welcomed.

• To undertake any other relevant duties, as may be required by the Chief Pharmacist.
• Nothing omitted or written here shall absolve the pharmacist from at all times ensuring that correct, professional techniques, ethics, attitudes and procedures are maintained by the staff for whom he/she is responsible.

Person specification

To be set by recruiting manager

• Registered Pharmacist (competency assessed and examined professional registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice or equivalent qualification/experience
• Evidence of specialist clinical knowledge and skills relevant to area of practice
• Knowledge of regulations and legislation relevant to area of practice
• Registered Independent Prescriber or willingness to complete
• Postgraduate Diploma in Pharmacy Practice or equivalent qualification / experience
• Previous relevant specialist clinical experience

IMPORTANT

• Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
• If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
• To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
• Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
• Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust’s criminal records checking policy
• All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.