Specialist Pharmacist - Critical Care and Theatres in Luton

We are pleased to offer an excellent progression opportunity for a motivated pharmacist to take a leading role in delivering clinical pharmacy services across the critical care unit, recovery unit, and operating theatres at Luton & Dunstable Hospital. Our hospital supports a diverse range of medical and surgical patients requiring complex, multiorgan care.

In this role, you will also contribute as a specialist pharmacist, with responsibilities including line management and training, helping to shape and strengthen our clinical pharmacy service. We are seeking a dynamic and enthusiastic pharmacist with experience across a variety of clinical specialties, particularly critical care. You will be supported to further develop your expertise and progress from specialist pharmacist to advanced specialist pharmacist.

This position requires vision, energy, and a commitment to delivering the highest standards of patient care. Strong collaboration skills are essential, as you will work closely with colleagues across medical, nursing, pharmacy, and management teams.

We are a digitally advanced trust with electronic prescribing already embedded across our wards and critical care unit. A key aspect of your role will be to support and drive further digital innovations within critical care. We are committed to your professional growth and will provide opportunities for further training, along with support to gain additional qualifications relevant to this role.

Main duties of the job:

• Lead, supervise, and act as a role model for pharmacists to plan, develop, and deliver a specialist clinical pharmacy service aligned with the priorities of the Clinical Service Line (CSL).
• Ensure compliance with local and national policies, legislation, and best practice to guarantee the safe, effective, and cost-efficient use of medicines and staff resources.
• Take responsibility for achieving defined service KPIs, working closely with other Lead Pharmacists to ensure consistency and quality.
• Provide specialist pharmaceutical care, including non-medical prescribing within the agreed scope of practice, while managing risk and ensuring adherence to clinical guidance.
• Support the CSL and Pharmacy Department in fulfilling risk management, financial management, and clinical governance responsibilities related to medicines use.
• Lead and contribute to clinical pharmacy audits and research within critical care, actively participating in projects that enhance patient safety.
• Deliver clinical supervision for junior pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy assistants, and pre-registration pharmacists.
• Serve as a professional role model to all clinical pharmacy staff, demonstrating integrity, accountability, and leadership in every aspect of the role.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values:

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job.

Job responsibilities:

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details. In this role, you will lead, supervise, and act as a role model for pharmacists, planning and developing a specialist clinical pharmacy service aligned with the priorities of the Clinical Service Line (CSL). You will ensure compliance with local and national policies, legislation, and best practice to guarantee the safe, effective, and cost-efficient use of medicines and staff resources.

You will take responsibility for delivering defined service KPIs, working closely with other Lead and Specialist Pharmacists. The post involves providing specialist pharmaceutical care, including non-medical prescribing (where applicable) within the agreed scope of practice, undertaking risk management, and ensuring adherence to clinical guidance.

Supporting the CSL and Pharmacy Department, you will contribute to risk management, financial management, and clinical governance responsibilities around medicines use. You will also lead and develop clinical pharmacy audits and practice-based research within critical care, actively participating in projects that enhance patient safety.

The role includes clinical supervision of junior pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy assistants, and pre-registration pharmacists. You will act as a professional role model, demonstrating integrity, accountability, and leadership in all aspects of the role. Finally, you will develop advanced specialist knowledge in critical care and anaesthesia, serving as a source of expert advice for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.

Person Specification:

Qualifications

• Essential: Bachelor/Master of Pharmacy degree or equivalent, GPhC Pharmacist Registration, Post graduate Certificate in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent, Relevant clinical experience.
• Desirable: Accredited Diploma Tutor, Stage II RPS Faculty Member (MIIFRPS) or portfolio in preparation, Quality Improvement Training, MSc in relevant subjects (or equivalent), Train the trainer qualification, Independent pharmacist prescriber, Member of the RPS, Post graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent.

Experience

• Essential: Experience of specialist clinical practice, Experience of collaborative working in multidisciplinary settings as an influential member, Relevant continued professional development, Experience of clinically supervising and training staff.
• Desirable: Risk Management, Presentation to trust wide meetings, Research and audit experience to improve patient care, Line management experience, E&T experience to undergraduates and postgraduates of various health professionals, Policy and service development, Evidence of managing and delivering a project.

Knowledge

• Essential: Expert knowledge and understanding of relevant standards and guidelines, Knowledge and awareness of implications of current developments in pharmacy practice and NHS strategies, Knowledge and understanding of medicines legislation, Understanding the need of confidentiality awareness at all times.
• Desirable: Awareness of the current commissioning arrangements in the NHS, Recognised as a specialist within the defined speciality.

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. Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.