Senior Clinical Pharmacist

Overview Senior Clinical Pharmacist - Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

The closing date is 21 September 2025

Are you a passionate pharmacist ready to elevate your career? Join our dynamic Band 7 team at Mersey West Lancashire Hospital, working across our cutting-edge teaching hospitals in Whiston and St Helens.

What We're Looking For:

• Experience in Acute Hospital settings (other sectors considered); Clinical diploma holder or near completion
• Diploma students start at Band 6, progressing to Band 7 upon completion
• Equivalent hospital experience may be accepted

What You'll Bring:

• Clinical expertise and precision
• Strong communication and teamwork skills
• Drive to innovate and grow
• Dedication to excellent patient care

About the Role:

• Extensive Band 7 training rotations in: Acute & General Medicine, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Stroke Surgery, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics & Neonates, Intensive Care, Haematology, Medicines Management, Education & Governance
• 7-day service with 1 in 5 shift rotation
• Late-night and on-call duties

Why Join Us? Be part of a 270-strong pharmacy team; Recognised by Investors in People for staff development; Career growth in a supportive environment; Embrace tech: e-prescribing, automated dispensing; Collaborate with universities and support student training

The JD & PS are currently under AfC review and are subject to change

For any enquiries about the role please contact Chris Herring, Pharmacy Clinical Services Manager, Whiston, St Helens and Newton Hospitals,

Main duties of the job You will be expected to be a team player with significant clinical experience, excellent interpersonal skills and attention to detail. You will be encouraged to develop and implement your own ideas within the role and help drive the pharmacy service forward under the guidance of the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager and Lead Clinical Pharmacists.

The department operates a 7 day service and, as part of this role, you will be expected to participate in the rostered shift system which is currently 1 in 5. Participation in the late night working and pharmacy on call will also be required.

About us The Secretary of State has approved the partnership between St Helens & Knowsley and Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals.

From 1st July we have come together as a single organisation under the name Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The Trust delivers acute hospital care, intermediate care, community, and primary care services to a population of over 600,000 people with a combined workforce of around 9000 dedicated and skilled staff from 17 locations including Whiston, Southport & Formby, St Helens, Ormskirk and Newton hospitals.

The Trust provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery and spinal injuries to more than 4 million people across Mersey and West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales.

Our Vision is to deliver 5 Star Patient Care:

• CARE that is evidence based, high quality and compassionate
• SAFETY that is of the highest standards
• COMMUNICATION that is open, inclusive and respectful
• SYSTEMS that are efficient, patient centred and reliable
• PATHWAYS that are best practice and embedded, but also respect the individual needs of patients

Our achievements include:

• Trust rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• Awarded National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for our Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Please see our Wellbeing & Benefits booklet for more information on our staff benefits. Accessible version available upon request.

Job responsibilities Clinical Pharmacy Duties

• To assist the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager to plan, manage, develop and deliver the pharmaceutical service to medical/surgical patients within the Trust in line with National strategy, in accordance with the changing needs of the NHS, the requirements of the Trust and taking into account feedback from users of the service.
• Act as a pharmaceutical resource for the Trust's patients, medical staff, pharmacy staff, nurses, midwives, non-medical prescribers etc.
• To work closely with pharmacy and other colleagues within local and national networks.
• To work closely with clinical pharmacy colleagues to support the safe use of medicines.
• To study for a Non-Medical Prescribing (NMP) qualification and attain registered NMP status.
• As a Trust approved Independent Non-medical prescriber, prescribe medication where appropriate in accordance with personal formulary.
• To assist the department in producing and reviewing guidelines and policies.
• To analyse medicines expenditure across directorates as directed by Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager and to identify prescribing trends and potential prescribing cost saving initiatives.
• To produce reports of and present such findings at Directorate or Care Group level as required.
• To be involved in audit of current practice to identify compliance with e.g. antimicrobial prescribing or adherence to Trust guidelines, producing reports of results for presentation at a suitable forum.
• To critically evaluate and interpret all information obtained from all sources and to apply professional judgement, to provide clinically sound, unbiased, up-to-date, evaluated information.
• To apply sound professional judgement to complex legal and ethical issues and dilemmas.
• Be aware of changes to national policies, guidelines, NICE guidance and other medicines/health directives and recommend amendments to the formulary and medicines management policies as appropriate.
• Scan national medical and pharmaceutical news by using recognised medical and pharmaceutical databases and websites to identify current and future developments in the pharmaceutical care of surgical patients.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• To provide an advanced clinical pharmacy service to specified wards in accordance with professional, departmental and Trust policies. This will include:
• Taking drug histories on admission.
• Checking medical notes of each new patient to ascertain presenting complaint, past medical history, working diagnosis and relevant biochemical, haematological and microbiological test results to ensure safe and effective medicines use.
• Ensuring each medicine has an appropriate indication and that each diagnosis has appropriate therapy.
• Ensuring that existing therapy is safe to take with, and has not contributed to, the presenting complaint.
• Ensuring that new treatments are compatible with the patients conditions.
• Making recommendations on changes to drug therapy in line with the above.
• Reviewing recommendations in the light of new results and treatment plans.
• Advising on which medications to continue and which to stop during the peri-operative period, if appropriate.
• Monitoring for adverse drug reactions and submit yellow cards to the MHRA where appropriate.
• Advising on therapeutic drug level monitoring for specific drugs where appropriate.
• Ensuring compliance with formularies, policies and procedures.
• Educating patients about their drug therapy.
• Developing evidence based treatment protocols for use within specialities or across the Trust where appropriate.

• Providing advice on the availability of alternative formulations suitable for use in patients who are nil by mouth.
• Providing information on the use of drugs outside their licensed indications.
• Monitoring use and ensure adequate stock levels of crucial drugs on a daily basis.

To participate in consultant ward rounds and multidisciplinary meetings where appropriate.

Provide specialist pharmaceutical information to medical and nursing staff and patients in your speciality and to General Practitioners and other staff where appropriate.

Liaise with General Practitioners and other primary care professionals to obtain accurate drug histories.

Record clinical interventions in line with departmental policy.

Report any drug errors you detect to the Chief Pharmacist or their deputy. Ensure that the appropriate error form and prescriber feedback are completed.

Participate in the departmental therapeutic drug monitoring service, interpreting drug levels and providing advice to medical staff on appropriate dosage, including on call.

Liaise with appropriate healthcare professionals within primary care to ensure the effective and efficient use of resources across the primary/secondary care interface and where necessary develop shared care protocols.

Provide professional and legal supervision for a minimum of 5 hours per week to the dispensaries. Duties will include:

Professional checking of inpatient requisitions, outpatient prescriptions and TTOs.

Ensuring all prescriptions comply with the Medicines Act.

Ensuring all prescriptions comply with the Misuse of Drugs Act where appropriate.

Final checking of prescriptions for accuracy prior to release.

Labelling and dispensing of medication as required.

Providing advice to patients on how to take their medicines and potential side effects.

Advice to Doctors, nurses and other professionals as required.

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