Lead Pharmacist

Employer: Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Employer type: NHS

Site: Warrington and Halton NHS Foundation Trust

Town: Warrington and Halton

Salary: £53,755 - £60,504 per annum

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 14/04/2025 23:59

Interview date: 21/04/2025

NHS AfC: Band 8a

Job overview

Previous applicants need not apply

Are you looking for a new opportunity to take your pharmacy career to new heights and work in our brand new aseptic facility? We are looking for an experienced, dynamic, and forward-thinking leader to join our team in the role of Lead Pharmacist - Technical Services, Infusions, and Special Medicines at Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

This post offers a fantastic opportunity to work at an advanced level in both aseptic preparation services and quality assurance.

The successful candidate will be required to work flexibly in supporting the Trust's directive of 7-day working, participating in rotas including on-call, weekend, and bank holiday working.

Main duties of the job

The post holder would be responsible for the provision of infusions and special medicines to the Trust. In addition, you will also support the provision of technical services within the Trust. The role requires excellent organisational and interpersonal skills, alongside sound knowledge in quality assurance and good manufacturing practice.

As a senior quality assurance pharmacist, you will assure the quality of all medicines prepared within the Aseptic Unit, in addition to maintaining and developing the Pharmaceutical Quality System in accordance with legal, regulatory, and best-practice requirements.

The department will be supported by a robust management team, technical pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy support workers that enables the successful candidate to focus on the provision of ready-to-administer infusions to our patients. You will be responsible for managing and supervising the duties of pharmacists, pre-registration pharmacists, and ward support technicians within the clinical team. You will support the Pharmacy Team Manager in the delivery of the Pharmacy Vision and Values Strategy.

The department is supportive of candidates who wish to undertake additional qualifications, such as the Diploma or MSc in Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Assurance.

Working for our organisation

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a caring and compassionate organisation that is both ambitious and innovative. We are committed to delivering the best outcomes for our patients and providing a positive experience for our staff. We aspire to be outstanding for our patients, our communities, and our staff and are committed to being a great place to receive healthcare, work, and learn.

Straddling the neighbouring boroughs of Warrington and Halton, we are part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care system. Our hospitals are ideally situated to meet the growing healthcare needs of the 330,000 population of these boroughs.

Warrington Hospital is home to our emergency, critical care, and maternity services, while Halton Hospital is focused on elective procedures and the Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre, although many services are offered at both sites and in community hubs.

A CQC-rated ‘good’ organisation with ‘outstanding’ features, we are working towards university hospital status, having achieved teaching hospital status in 2019.

Our workforce of nearly 5,000 across both sites comprises more than 50 nationalities. We strive to be an equal, diverse, and inclusive employer, which is recognised as a pioneer in its equality, diversity, and inclusion work. The Trust is proud to have achieved numerous external accreditations and is working towards achieving the Anti-Racist Organisation Framework, recognising the importance of anti-racism in all that we do.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We are committed to creating and maintaining a fair and supportive working environment and culture, where contributions are fully recognised and valued by all and staff feel empowered to carry out their duties to the best of their abilities. As employers, we are committed to promoting and protecting the physical and mental health and well-being of all our staff. This underpins our values as set out in the NHS Constitution, supports us to be an Employer of Choice, and ultimately enables our employees to support the effective care of our patients.

FULL JOB DESCRIPTION ATTACHED

Person specification

Qualifications

• Masters qualification in Pharmacy (4 years), or equivalent qualification, plus 1 year pre-registration training and experience.
• Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent documented clinical experience
• Accredited pre-registration pharmacy student tutor and/or accredited clinical pharmacy diploma tutor
• Postgraduate MSc or Diploma in Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Assurance (PTQA)

Occupational Experience & Abilities

• Experience working in a Hospital Pharmacy Aseptic Unit/Technical Services
• Previous experience of supervising/mentoring junior colleagues
• Knowledge of principles of GMP and their practical application within the relevant legal and regulatory framework
• Experience in delivering service improvement
• Leadership and management experience
• Knowledge of GDP and COSHH regulations
• Experience working in an MS-licensed unit
• Quality oriented – strives to deliver continuous improvement
• Able to work with and influence other grades of staff and professions
• Ability to use own initiative
• Excellent organisational skills
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Ability to affect and manage change with an ability to motivate others
• Ability to manage time, people, and resources to deliver outcomes

WHH hold a Sponsor Licence; this means that we may be able to sponsor you providing the Home Office requirements are met. To be eligible for sponsorship through the Skilled Worker route you’ll usually need to be paid the ‘standard’ salary rate of at least £38,700 per year, or the ‘going rate’ for your job, whichever is higher. You can find more information on the Government website. Please review your eligibility and the eligibility of the role before submitting your application.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.