Lead Pharmacist - Division of Surgery & Cancer
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The Lead Pharmacist for the Division of Surgery and Cancer is a senior clinical and managerial role within the Trust's pharmacy service, based at Leighton Hospital. The post holder will lead and develop high-quality, patient-focused clinical pharmacy services across surgical and cancer pathways, supporting inpatient and outpatient care.
This post is offered at 36.75 hours per week. We welcome candidates who may wish to work slightly fewer contracted hours, which can be explored at interview.
We are committed to an inclusive pharmacy workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve, creating a compassionate and respectful environment where all staff feel valued and supported.
Working with consultants, specialist nurses and multidisciplinary teams, the post holder will ensure safe, effective and evidence-based use of medicines, including optimisation, prescribing support and development.
The role provides strategic leadership across the division, including service planning, workforce development and implementation of medicines guidance. It combines advanced clinical practice with governance, education and financial responsibilities, including risk management, audit, training and budget oversight.
The post holder will lead the pharmacy team, promoting an inclusive culture of learning, wellbeing and continuous improvement.
The role requires expert clinical judgement and carries significant responsibility. Participation in on-call, weekend and late rotas is expected.
Main duties of the job
The Lead Pharmacist is responsible for managing and developing clinical pharmacy services within the Division of Surgery and Cancer. Key duties include leading medicines optimisation activities such as medicines reconciliation, drug utilisation reviews, concordance programmes and implementation of evidence-based and national guidelines at a local level. The post holder works directly on wards and in clinics, participating in consultant ward rounds and multidisciplinary meetings to support high-quality prescribing and patient care.
The role includes leadership of the pharmacy team serving the division, with responsibility for recruitment, appraisal, workforce planning, supervision and training. The post holder supports the development of non-medical prescribing, shared care arrangements and seamless transfer of care across healthcare interfaces. Governance responsibilities include leading audit, research, risk management, incident reporting and pharmacy involvement in clinical trials.
The Lead Pharmacist supports the division in managing its medicines budget by monitoring expenditure, forecasting cost pressures and contributing to business cases and formulary decisions. Education and training of medical, nursing and pharmacy staff form a key part of the role, alongside maintaining personal professional development and acting as a role model for professional practice.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Vocational Masters degree in Pharmacy and Registration with GPhC
- Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy
- Non-Medical Prescribing Qualification
Desirable
- Creditentialed to the RCPHARM Core Advanced framework
Experience
Essential
- Substantial experience in NHS Hospital pharmacy
Desirable
- Experience of providing pharmacy support at Directorate or Speciality level
- Detailed knowledge of clinical pharmacy related to the Surgery and Cancer Division
Team Working
Essential
- Evidence of ability to work within a team
- Evidence of good communication skills
Desirable
- Evidence of management of staff
- Evidence of management of budgets
About the employer
This is a great time to join the Pharmacy department at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (MCHFT). The department has completed a full departmental refurbishment and installation of a new automated dispensing system. We have recently implemented a new dispensing system, electronic ward cabinets and controlled drug cabinet, and are finalising planning for our Electronic Prescribing implementation.
MCHFT provides good quality, safe and effective healthcare to the people of Cheshire and beyond.
The Trust, which manages Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford, was established as an NHS Trust in April 1991 and became a Foundation Trust in April 2008.
We employ almost 5,000 members of staff, provide around 540 hospital beds, with a range of services including accident and emergency, maternity, outpatients, therapies, and children's health.
The Trust is also part of Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership (CCICP), a unique local health partnership that provides a range of community services for people across South Cheshire and Vale Royal.
The results in the 2020 national NHS Staff Survey showed improvements in all elements of the safety culture theme, with 92% of respondents feeling their role made a difference to our patients.
At Mid Cheshire, we value our staff and appreciate that in order to give our patients the best quality, compassionate care, we also need to look after our colleagues.