At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead clinical pharmacy services in mental health and learning disabilities, ensuring safe medicine use.
- Company: Join Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, rated 'Outstanding' by the CQC.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, generous holiday, training opportunities, and a supportive work environment.
- Other info: Be part of a passionate team dedicated to improving mental health care.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in patients' lives while advancing your career in a dynamic team.
- Qualifications: BPharm/MPharm/BSc Pharmacy and registration with GPhC required; leadership skills are a plus.
The predicted salary is between 59798 - 67020 £ per year.
We are seeking an experienced and motivated clinical pharmacist to join our pharmacy team as a Division Lead Pharmacist (Band 8a). Our Division Lead Pharmacists provide senior clinical leadership across the following divisions: Adult Acute and Urgent Care Services; Specialist Services (Children and Young People and Older People); Learning Disabilities and Forensic Services; and Adult Community Services. The current vacancy is within Adult Acute and Urgent Care Division.
The role is suited to a forward-thinking pharmacist keen to influence practice, develop services and progress as a senior clinical leader. Experience in mental health or learning disabilities is desirable but not essential, and applicants with strong transferable clinical and leadership skills are encouraged to apply.
Working closely with the pharmacy management team, senior clinicians and multidisciplinary teams, you will lead the safe, effective and person-centred use of medicines across the Division. You will provide specialist clinical expertise, influence prescribing practice and support delivery of the Trust's Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation Strategy.
You will join a supportive and progressive pharmacy team with strong links to multidisciplinary colleagues, senior Trust leaders and academic partners, offering opportunities to develop leadership, research and advanced practice aligned with national credentialling frameworks.
Main duties of the job
- Provide highly specialist clinical pharmacy expertise in mental health, learning disabilities and forensic services.
- Lead and develop pharmacy services across the assigned division, ensuring high-quality, evidence-based and cost-effective medicines use.
- Influence prescribing practice and contribute to Trust-wide medicines optimisation strategy and governance.
- Use Independent Prescribing skills (where qualified) within agreed scopes and Trust policy.
- Support medicines safety through incident review, learning, audit and quality improvement initiatives.
- Line manage and develop Band 6/7 pharmacists and other pharmacy staff, fostering a strong learning culture.
- Deliver and oversee education and training for pharmacists, technicians and wider healthcare professionals.
- Contribute to policy development, formulary management and Trust committees (e.g. Drugs & Therapeutics).
- Work collaboratively across services and systems to support safe and seamless transfer of care.
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission. Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout: Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
In return, we can offer you:
- Leadership and management training opportunities.
- 5% on top of basic salary high cost allowance supplement (subject to a minimum and a maximum payment pro rata).
- 27 days holiday rising to 33 days (depending on NHS Trust service) plus bank holidays (pro rata where applicable).
- One of the UK's best pension schemes.
- Free Pilates lessons.
- Comprehensive health and wellbeing services.
- Special leave for family and personal reasons.
- NHS Car Lease Scheme.
- Employee Assistance Programme.
Our staff survey results tell a story of highly engaged, motivated, passionate people working at HPFT. The survey has shown that staff overwhelmingly believe that their role makes a difference to service users, to the extent that HPFT had the best score nationally for this question.
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING
- Essential: BPharm / MPharm / BSc Pharmacy; Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC); Postgraduate clinical pharmacy certificate/ diploma or equivalent experience; Demonstrates own CPD record/ or documented CPD.
- Desirable: Registration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS); Postgraduate Certificate/diploma in Psychiatric Therapeutics or equivalent experience; Postgraduate diploma in Advanced Clinical Practice; Leadership or Management Qualification; Independent prescribing qualification (or working towards); Member of the RPS Education and Standards Committee; Post-registration Foundation or Core advanced credentialed with RPS.
EXPERIENCE
- Essential: Experience of working in a secondary care setting; Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team; Evidence of involvement in clinical pharmacy provision and in operational management; Writing and reviewing of policies, guidelines, and procedures; Documented evidence of completed audit work and research practice; Good, broad clinical knowledge and ability to apply to a ward, community and dispensary setting; Experience in managing workload.
- Desirable: Experience of working as a member of a multidisciplinary team in mental health and learning disabilities; Evidence of education, training, performance management and development of staff; Good management skills - including recruitment, supervision, and appraisals; Experience showing leadership skills or equivalent; Managing quality and cost effectiveness initiatives; Experience in incident analysis and investigation; Awareness of current issues facing the NHS; Experience of project management; Experience of carrying out clinical supervision; Experience of chairing committees.
SKILLS / COMMUNICATION
- Essential: Advanced IT skills and comprehensive use of Microsoft office including PowerPoint and Excel; An ability to organise and prioritise own workload and that of others; An ability to lead, inspire and motivate a team; Engaging, compassionate and caring communication skills when dealing with patients/family/carers on complex/sensitive issues; Experience of delivering training to staff; Highly developed physical skills in dispensing, preparing, and checking of medicines involving a high level of accuracy; English language competency sufficient to communicate effectively with all staff and deliver education sessions in an appropriate form; Advanced computer, keyboard and mouse skills; Good interpersonal skills; Confident, able to influence and assertive when dealing with other professionals; Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; Team player with leadership skills; Able to prioritise and meet deadlines; Demonstrates empathy towards client groups; Shows initiative and has well-developed problem-solving skills; Demonstrates attention to detail, accuracy, and numeracy skills.
- Desirable: Ability to analyse highly complex information, both clinical, financial, and managerial.
KNOWLEDGE
- Essential: Advanced theoretical and technical, clinical and pharmaceutical knowledge relating to the promotion of high quality, effective and cost-efficient use of medicines; An awareness of NHS Plan, and clinical governance priorities; Good knowledge of all medicines legislation relating to the supply and storage of medicines.
ABILITY
- Essential: Able to deal with conflicting demands on workload and frequent interruptions; Ability to work under pressure; Able to influence other professionals; Able to communicate with service users; Able to impart complex information in a manner understandable to junior staff and students.
ANALYTICAL SKILLS
- Essential: Able to make judgements involving complex facts or situations which require analysis, interpretation, and comparison of a range of options; Able to critically appraise clinical trial data and research papers.
PHYSICAL EFFORT
- Essential: Moving handling of laptop and other materials; Sitting and standing for long periods of time in different settings; Driving across Hertfordshire to different bases/units; Able to work late duties/ bank holidays/weekends as per rota/take part in annual stock take.
MENTAL EFFORT
- Essential: The job will require frequent use of VDU equipment every day and intense concentration in a sometimes-noisy open plan office environment; The post holder may encounter challenging/hostile service users when visiting the mental health units; Communication of complex information about medicines regarding individual service users within own organisation and across other organisations.
VALUES/MOTIVATIONAL/PERSONAL QUALITIES /DIVERSITY
- Essential: Welcoming/Kind/Positive/Respectful/Professional.
Principal Clinical Pharmacist Mental Health - Division Leads in Radlett employer: National health service
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is an outstanding employer, offering a supportive and progressive work environment for clinical pharmacists. With a strong focus on employee development, leadership training, and a commitment to staff wellbeing, you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in mental health services while enjoying generous benefits such as 27 days of holiday, a competitive pension scheme, and access to comprehensive health services. Join a passionate team dedicated to providing high-quality care in a vibrant community setting in Radlett, Hertfordshire.
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