Lead Pharmacist Critical Care | Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Foundation Trust in England is seeking a Critical Care Pharmacist to provide advanced clinical pharmacy input and lead the critical care pharmacy team. The ideal candidate will possess significant critical care experience, offering operational leadership and contributing to educational initiatives within the University of Cambridge. Competitive benefits include flexible working arrangements and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

On-site leisure facilities

Flexible working arrangements

Research opportunities

Qualifications

• Significant critical care experience required.
• Ability to provide mentorship and training.
• Experience in delivering undergraduate medical education.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced clinical pharmacy input to adult critical care patients.
• Lead and coordinate the pharmacy service to the East of England Adult Critical Care Transfer Service.
• Support education, training and supervision of pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.

Skills

Advanced clinical pharmacy input

Operational leadership

Patient care optimization

Mentorship

Education

Pharmacy degree

Tools

eHospital digital medicines systems

Job description

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) is seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Critical Care Pharmacist to join our dynamic and well‑established critical care pharmacy team on a fixed‑term basis (12 months) to provide maternity leave cover.

You will provide advanced clinical pharmacy input to adult critical care areas, lead the pharmacy service to the East of England Adult Critical Care Transfer Service (ACCTS), and contribute to the delivery of undergraduate medical education within the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine.

This senior post requires significant critical care experience and offers a high level of autonomy, including day‑to‑day operational leadership for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy assistants within the critical care pharmacy team. You will also engage with the East of England Critical Care Pharmacists Network, supporting service development and mentorship across the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide advanced clinical pharmacy input to adult critical care patients, optimising patient care through safe and effective medicines use.
• Lead and coordinate the pharmacy service to the East of England Adult Critical Care Transfer Service (ACCTS).
• Provide operational leadership to the critical care pharmacy team alongside the Lead Pharmacist for Neurosciences Critical Care.
• Support education, training and supervision of pharmacists, trainees and other healthcare professionals.
• Contribute to the delivery of teaching within the University of Cambridge undergraduate medical education program.
• Work collaboratively within the multidisciplinary critical care team and with pharmacy colleagues to drive service development, quality improvement and research initiatives.
• Actively participate in regional critical care pharmacy networks and provide support to pharmacists across the East of England.
• Provide specialist clinical pharmacy input to adult critical care areas, ensuring medicines are used safely, effectively and economically.
• Deliver expert advice to multi‑professional colleagues on all aspects of medicines use in critical care, including complex pharmacokinetics, organ dysfunction and therapeutic drug monitoring.
• Support safe prescribing and administration of high‑risk medicines commonly used in adult critical care, including antimicrobial agents, opioid analgesics, insulin, vasoactive drugs and sedation.
• Lead and develop the pharmacy service to the ACCTS, supporting the safe and efficient transfer of critically ill patients across the region.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary ward/board rounds, case discussions and service meetings.
• Provide operational and professional leadership to members of the critical care pharmacy team, supporting workforce development, supervision and training.
• Participate in recruitment, induction and performance review processes for pharmacy staff within the service.
• Support the education and development of junior pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants.
• Contribute to the teaching of medical students within the University of Cambridge undergraduate medical education programme.
• Contribute to the clinical governance structures within adult critical care, conducting and promoting appropriate and timely incident review and learning.
• Participate in audit, quality improvement and research to enhance the quality and effectiveness of medicines use in critical care.
• Actively engage with the East of England Critical Care Pharmacists Network, promoting regional collaboration, consistency of practice and peer support.
• Work closely with other pharmacy leads, the wider clinical pharmacy management team and multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure the critical care service aligns with Trust priorities and national best practice.
• Support the implementation of new clinical guidelines, national policy updates and medicines safety initiatives relevant to critical care.
• Contribute to the maintenance and development of the Trust’s eHospital digital medicines systems and their context in adult critical care, promoting safe and efficient use of technology to enhance clinical practice.

Our Trust

Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1,100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people – patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing ‘outstanding’ care to our patients and rated ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH’s values – Together, Safe, Kind, Excellent – are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high‑quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.

CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community – a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people’s age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Internal applicants on permanent contracts can apply for this post as a secondment or fixed‑term contract. For secondments, you must have the approval of your line manager before applying. If you are an internal applicant currently on a fixed‑term contract, you are able to apply for this as a fixed‑term position.

For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.

This vacancy will close at midnight on 26th November 2025.

Interviews are due to be held on 3rd December 2025.

Why choose Cambridge University Hospitals?

• Our values and reputation for outstanding care
• Opportunities to experience a range of specialities
• Career and development opportunities
• Preceptorship and mentoring programmes delivered by a dedicated clinical education support team
• Research experience and opportunities
• Lovely location and quality of life
• Excellent schools/colleges and transport links (road, rail and air)

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on‑site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff. On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose‑created colleague‑only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work‑life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part‑time working, job‑share, term‑time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

This advert closes on Wednesday 26 Nov 2025.