Lead Pharmacist | Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Lancashire Care Foundation Trust; Chorley; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is seeking a Lead Pharmacist for a 6-month fixed term role focused on Patient Medicines Optimisation and Evidence Based Care. The position involves leading optimisation work for inpatients, developing care pathways, and providing clinical pharmacy expertise. The role offers hybrid working arrangements and is based primarily in Chorley, with occasional travel required. Ideal candidates will have a Pharmacy degree and experience in clinical pharmacy, especially within mental health settings.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Positive work/life balance

Qualifications

• Experience in clinical pharmacy, particularly in mental health settings.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams in medicines optimisation.
• Strong communication skills for training and mentorship.

Responsibilities

• Lead medicines optimisation for inpatients in mental health wards.
• Develop evidence-based pathways for care.
• Conduct medicines optimisation reviews focusing on psychosis.

Skills

Medicines optimisation

Clinical pharmacy expertise

Education and mentorship

Education

Pharmacy degree

Job description

Overview

This is a 6-month fixed term post until 31st March 2026. Hours per week: 37.5 hours. Lead Pharmacist Band 8b in Patient Medicines Optimisation and Evidence Based Care.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support medicines optimisation work for inpatients with long length of stay within LSCFT Mental Health inpatient wards and contracted Out of Area Placements (OAPS).
• Support the Patient First Pathway in developing and embedding evidence-based pathways of care.
• Deliver education, training and mentorship to the multidisciplinary team, including the Consultant Psychiatrists Forum.
• Conduct medicines optimisation reviews focusing predominantly on psychosis for long stay patients (60 days plus) within LSCFT and OAPS wards (up to one per day per week).
• Provide enhanced clinical pharmacy expertise to medical colleagues for long stay patients in contracted OAPS up to two days a week.
• Support the Patient First Programme to embed evidence-based pathways of care across teams, initially focusing on pathways for psychosis and emotional dysregulation.
• Assist with co-design of the pathway, to be conducted and tested with one ward initially using a modification of the Rapid Process Improvement Workshop (RPIW) approach, before expanding to other wards.
• Attend workshops in person as required, liaise with ward-based pharmacy staff, and spend time working clinically on identified wards.

Working arrangements

Hybrid working: up to two days per week from home, with flexibility as required. Travel to different sites in the Lancashire and South Cumbria footprint may be required depending on RPIW workshops, ward locations for the Patient First Programme, and long-stay patient locations. The base for the initial part of the pathways work will be at Chorley Hospital.

About the Trust

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care. Specialist provision includes inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care. The Trust also provides physical health and well-being services in the community with partners across Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton.

Flexible working and application

LSCFT encourages flexible working and supports a positive work/life balance. Flexible patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks will be considered. Applicants should state any flexible working requests on the application and discuss at interview.

For more information please visit the Trust website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT. The job description and person specification are attached for more information.

Advert closes on Tuesday 23 Sep 2025.