Advanced Specialist Pharmacist - NICU

An exciting opportunity has arisen within a high-performing Trust to lead and develop the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) clinical pharmacy service across Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This role offers the chance to deliver and shape a high-quality, patient-centred medicines optimisation service for a highly specialised and vulnerable patient group.

The successful candidate will provide advanced specialist pharmaceutical care to neonates, including prescribing and management of complex therapies such as parenteral nutrition, while working closely with the multidisciplinary team to support clinical decision-making and optimise patient outcomes.

You will demonstrate strong leadership and influencing skills, contributing to the development of pharmacy services in line with Trust priorities, national guidance and best practice. This role includes responsibility for leading service development, supporting research, contributing to governance, medication safety initiatives and continuous quality improvement. You will act as an expert source of advice on neonatal medicines, supporting complex clinical queries and promoting safe and cost-effective prescribing.

This is an ideal opportunity for a motivated and experienced pharmacist with a passion for neonatal care, clinical excellence and service innovation.

Main duties of the job

To lead and develop an advanced specialist clinical pharmacy service for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), aligned with the priorities of the Women's and Children's Clinical Service Line and in accordance with local, regional and national policies, ensuring compliance with medicines legislation and the safe, clinical and cost-effective use of medicines and resources.

To be responsible for delivering agreed service Key Performance Indicators, working closely with other Lead and Specialist Pharmacists across the service line.

To provide cross-site specialist neonatal pharmacy input, supporting NICU services across Bedfordshire Hospitals, including participation in ward rounds and multidisciplinary team working.

To deliver expert clinical pharmacy services including prescribing where appropriate, and the management of complex therapies such as parenteral nutrition in line with Trust guidelines and standards.

To contribute to the development, implementation and review of policies, guidelines and protocols to support safe and effective medicines use within neonatal services.

To lead and support clinical audit, research and quality improvement initiatives, promoting medication safety and optimising patient outcomes.

To provide education, training and clinical supervision to pharmacy and wider healthcare staff, supporting workforce development and best practice.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• oPharmacy degree (Masters level)
• oRegistration with the GPhC
• oPost graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent.
• o Independent prescribing qualification (or planning to start)
• o Relevent Senior experience

Desirable

• oMember of the RPS
• oStage II Faculty Member of the RPS (MIIFRPS) or portfolio in preparation
• oIndependent pharmacist prescriber
• oManagement training
• oQuality Improvement Training

Experience

Essential

• oExtensive recent post-registration hospital experience as a clinical pharmacist at band 8a in the relevant specialist clinical area
• oExperienced clinical pharmacist with a range of clinical specialities
• oExperience of collaborative working in multidisciplinary settings as an influential member
• oExperience of developing and reviewing drug policies and treatment guidelines
• oExperience of the practical application of antimicrobial stewardship initiatives
• oExperience of drug expenditure analysis and reporting
• oExperience of developing and leading on projects including change management and service development
• oDemonstrable evidence of undertaking research and audit and using the results to improve patient care
• oPolicy and service development including driving performance and meeting KPIs

Desirable

• oExperience of managing and leading a team
• oPresentation to Trust-wide and External meetings

Knowledge

Essential

• oAdvanced detailed clinical knowledge of drugs and therapeutic trends within the specialist area
• oKnowledge of NICE, Health Education England (HEE), NHS Improvement patient and their local implementation
• oKnowledge of NHS commissioning processes
• oKnowledge and awareness of implications of current developments in pharmacy practice and NHS strategies

Desirable

• oPrinciples of Quality Improvement
• oAdvanced level of clinical reasoning and judgement. Ability to apply logical and analytical skills to manage clinical risk during the use of medicines

Personal Skills

Essential

• Organised and able to plan, prioritise and manage work programmes
• Critical review/analysis and interpretation of clinical literature and medicines legislation

Desirable

• Ability to formulate, lead and implement directorate service strategies
• Ability to integrate research into practice

About the employer

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 familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.