Lead Pharmacist - Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery

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Lead Pharmacist - Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery

NHS AfC: Band 8a

Main area Pharmacy Grade NHS AfC: Band 8a Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 409-S8181187

Site Southport District General Hospital Town Southport Salary £57,528 - £64,750 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 08/09/2026 23:59 Interview date 15/09/2026

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to "name of trust" transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Job overview

Southport and Ormskirk Hospital have an exciting opportunity to join our team as the lead specialist pharmacist in trauma and orthopaedics (T&O). We are looking recruit an experienced pharmacist with a keen interest in peri-operative management of patients undergoing elective surgery, and the medicines optimisation of patients following falls or trauma to become an integral part of our well established multidisciplinary team.

The successful applicant will take lead responsibility to support and implement quality-driven inpatient and outpatient services within T&O alongside our lead consultants and advanced nurse practitioners. This will ensure treatments prescribed are used in a safe, effective, prudent, patient-centred and efficient manner.

Main duties of the job

This post holder will promote safe and cost-effective prescribing across the Trust in collaboration with the consultants, pre-op clinics and the orthopaedic MDT. You will lead in drug usage analysis, identification of budget pressures arising from new products, co-ordination of projects and audits and the development and maintenance of guidelines, policies and protocols relating to orthopaedic surgery. You will have significant input into the choice of therapy prescribed for people with immobility, pain and preventative bone health based upon their comorbidities and response to treatment, and prescribing of appropriate treatment.

In addition to supporting our orthopaedic services, the post holder will provide a clinical pharmacy service to our acute surgical wards.

The Trust has recently undergone the implementation of EPMA and the post-holder will have a significant input into improved prescribing and therapeutic drug monitoring using electronic systems.

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our Services

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements

Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018

Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)

National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical and Professional Responsibilities

1. Provide a clinical pharmacy service to designated orthopaedic surgical wards and pre-op clinics and develop a specialist practice base in trauma and orthopaedics. This will include:

Undertaking medicines reconciliation on admission including the contacting of GP surgeries/specialist clinics where necessary

Review of patients’ medication to ensure safe and effective use, and seek resolution of any medication related issues

Prescribing of patients’ regular medication on admission and other appropriate drug treatments according to clinical pathways within the orthopaedic directorate.

Initiation of monitoring where deemed necessary

Review and update of care plans depending on response, results of investigations and adverse effects

Therapeutic drug monitoring for specific drugs

Educate patients about their drug therapy

2. Develop evidence-based treatment protocols in trauma and orthopaedic surgery for use within the Directorate or across the Trust where appropriate

3. Facilitate implementation of local and national guidelines where appropriate

4. To work with the Deputy Chief Pharmacist – clinical services and other senior members of staff to develop pharmacy services to the orthopaedic directorate as appropriate

5. Attend clinical ward rounds, clinical and multidisciplinary meetings relevant to orthopaedic surgery as appropriate including orthopaedic surgical audit meetings

6. Undertaking and supervising audit and research projects in clinical pharmacy practice or in trauma and orthopaedic surgery as appropriate

7. To assist the Deputy Chief Pharmacist – clinical services with information regarding intervention monitoring by regularly recording clinical interventions and activities

8. Representing the pharmacy department and the Trust in regional and other clinical pharmacy forums and meetings, particularly with respect to orthopaedic surgery

9. In liaison with the senior technicians for procurement/computer services, provide and interpret monthly drug-use information for the orthopaedic surgical directorate and prioritise areas for action to contain unexplained spending. Liaise with Finance, Clinical Directors and Clinical Service Managers to address any financial concerns

10. Develop evidence-based treatment protocols, guidelines and care pathways within orthopaedic surgery

11. Responsible for drug administration protocols within trauma and orthopaedic surgery directorate

12. Evaluate new drugs within orthopaedic surgery and advise formulary pharmacist and Drugs and Therapeutics Group on such matters

13. Provide highly specialist pharmaceutical information to medical, nursing staff and patients in surgery and to General Practitioners and other staff within the Trust where appropriate

14. Act as an independent prescriber in orthopaedic surgery or other clinical areas as requested by the Deputy Chief Pharmacist – clinical services. This should be in line with the Trust Policy for Non-Medical Prescribing

Administrative Responsibilities

1. Documentation of patient Medicines Reconciliation as per Trust Policy.

2. Review of ward/department expenditure as allocated.

3. Record regularly clinical interventions and activities in line with departmental policy.

Teaching and Training Responsibilities

• Provide clinical training for other pharmacists, trainee pharmacists, undergraduate students and pharmacy technicians
• Provide technical and clinical support to other pharmacists as appropriate within their area of practice
• Responsible for the personal development of foundation pharmacists and trainee pharmacists as appropriate. Undertake individual developmental review sessions for designated foundation pharmacists.
• Either tutor a pharmacist on the Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or act as a designated supervisor to a trainee pharmacist, marking work, appraising and supervising work and at ward level
• Actively participate and contribute to in‑house clinical meetings
• Training of staff from other disciplines e.g. medical, nursing staff, allied health professionals on drug issues
• Participate in CPD/Revalidation as per department policy and national guidelines from The Royal College of Pharmacy and maintain portfolio of evidence of CPD

Audit/Research

1. To participate in clinical audit and practice research within the department.

Managerial

2. Supervise junior pharmacists, trainee pharmacists and undergraduate students.

3. Act as tutor for pharmacists undertaking a diploma in clinical pharmacy.

Other

• Provide professional and legal clinical supervision in the dispensary as allocated.
• Liaise with senior management to ensure agreed safe systems of work are followed that comply with current recommendations or instructions that may be issued from time to time by the Department of Health and Medicines Inspectorate
• Participate as necessary in the provision of emergency services outside normal working hours, weekend roster and Pharmacy late‑night roster

Qualifications

• Vocational Masters degree in Pharmacy or equivalent
• Pharmacist registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy
• Accredited Independent Prescriber (or working towards qualification)
• Membership of The Royal College of Pharmacy
• Accredited Tutor for LJMU

Experience

• Experience as qualified pharmacist in acute Hospital Pharmacy
• Significant experience in the provision of clinical pharmacy to surgical patients
• Good all round knowledge of Clinical Pharmacy
• Line Management Experience
• Trainee Pharmacist designated supervisor experience
• Previous Pharmacy Teaching Experience
• Published pharmaceutical research in a peer‑reviewed journal

Skills

• Ability to affect and manage change
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Self‑motivated and able to motivate/ inspire others
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Ability to teach junior pharmacists the delivery of pharmaceutical care within speciality
• Demonstrable commitment to continuing professional development/ education
• Committed to patient care
• Approachable and flexible
• Supportive to other members of Pharmacy and multidisciplinary teams
• Financial awareness regarding the management of drug budgets

Other

• Moderate physical effort required
• Some standing, walking sitting
• Use of VDU equipment
• Able to work under pressure, remains calm and objective
• Ability to rationalise complex issues
• Frequent concentration, work pattern unpredictable Concentration for reviewing prescriptions, calculations, statistics; may be interrupted by urgent requests for advice
• Exposure to upsetting situations, high level of resilience to deal with distressing and/or challenging situations
• Distressed patients with complex diseases. May work with distressed patients, relatives due