Advanced Specialist Pharmacist - Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Unit

Integrated Care System; Luton; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in Bedfordshire seeks an Advanced Specialist Pharmacist for the Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Unit. The role encompasses overseeing pharmaceutical care for paediatric patients, leading service development initiatives, and collaborating with local healthcare teams. Join a high-performing Trust committed to excellent patient care and staff wellbeing.

Qualifications

• Experienced clinical pharmacist with extensive post-registration experience at band 8a level.
• Demonstrable evidence of undertaking research and audits to improve patient care.
• Ability to develop and lead projects including change management.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop an advanced specialist clinical pharmacy service for Bedfordshire Hospitals.
• Clinically validate paediatric oncology prescriptions according to Trust protocols.
• Contribute to the development and adaptation of prescription templates for clinical trials.

Skills

Advanced clinical knowledge of drugs

Interpersonal skills

Reasoning and judgment skills

Education

Pharmacy degree (Masters level)

Registration with the GPhC

Post graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy

Post graduate Masters in Pharmacy

Non-medical Prescriber status

Job description

Go back Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Advanced Specialist Pharmacist - Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Unit

The closing date is 18 July 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen at a high performing Trust to lead and develop paediatric oncology services to both our Luton site (level A Enhanced) and the Bedford site (Standard) as the Trust embarks on this journey . This shared care agreement will enable children with cancer to receive supportive care and specified chemotherapy treatment(s) as close to home as possible, importantly improving patient care and and experience.

The successful candidate will deliver high quality pharmaceutical care to paediatric oncology patients and possess strong influencing skills to work collaboratively with the Chemocare consortium and the local MDT at BHFT. Wider knowledge and understanding of general paediatric work would be expected, to allow the appointed candidate to flourish in the role and provide a specialist clinical pharmacy service to paediatric wards

Additional responsibilities include leading on developing protocols that integrate pharmacy services across the Chemocare network. This will require strong reasoning and judgement skills, excellent interpersonal skills whilst possessing a passion for medication safety and service improvement. Support and training will be required as appropriate to assist the appointed candidate to adapt into their new role.

Main duties of the job

To lead and develop an advanced specialist clinical pharmacy service for Bedfordshire Hospitals POSCU services, which is consistent with the priorities and needs of the relevant Clinical Service Line. This should also be in line with local, regional and national policies and best practice including compliance with Medicines legislation. This will ensure the safe, clinical and cost effective use of medicines and staff resources. To be responsible for delivering the defined service Key Performance Indicators and include close working with other Lead or Specialist Pharmacists.

To be responsible for the cross site provision of paediatric pharmacy oncology services for a Standard POSCU service at Bedford site and a Level A Enhanced POSCU service at Luton site, which may require ad-hoc visits to the Bedford site.

To represent Bedfordshire Hospitals at the Chemocare Consortium Group and be actively be involved in the set up and implementation of E-prescribing at Bedfordshire Hospitals.

Clinically validate paediatric oncology prescriptions (including oral, injectable and clinical trial drugs) according to Trust protocols and locally agreed standards and guidelines.

Contribute to the local development and adaptation of prescription templates for clinical trials and SACT until e- prescribing is fully initiated for all SACT drugs.

About us

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.

Job responsibilities

Please see job description and person specification provided. If further information is required, please refer to the contact details below.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• oPharmacy degree (Masters level)
• oRegistration with the GPhC
• oPost graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or equivalent.
• oPost graduate Masters in Pharmacy or Non-medical Prescriber status
• Member of NPPG
• oMember of the RPS
• oStage II Faculty Member of the RPS (MIIFRPS)
• oNon-medical Prescriber
• oPrince 2 Foundation
• oManagement training
• oQuality Improvement Training

Experience

• 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 writing professional reports
• 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
• oExperience of managing and leading a team
• oExperienced clinical pharmacist who has covered a range of clinical specialities in more than one hospital
• oPresentation to Trust-wide and External meetings
• oExperience of writing a business case
• o
• o

Knowledge

• 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
• 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

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£53,755 to £60,504 a yearper annum pro rata