Mental Health Network Lead Pharmacist

Pennine Care Nhs Foundation Trust; Greater Manchester; On-site; GBP 67,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Flexible working

Continued Professional Development

Health and wellbeing support

Staff discounts

Job summary

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a seconded Lead Pharmacist for the Mental Health Network—community services in Greater Manchester. You will lead the clinical pharmacy team, develop services to meet patient needs and ensure high-quality medicines management across the network.

You will act as a role model, train staff and work within an integrated leadership team to deliver safe, effective and cost-efficient medicines use.

Qualifications

• Current member of the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Evidence of CPD and commitment to life-long learning
• Postgraduate qualification in Clinical Pharmacy / Pharmacy Practice or Prescribing Sciences
• Experience in multiple pharmacy sectors (hospital, medicines management, GP practice)
• Experience leading and implementing change and developing new services
• Experience training staff and providing IT/medicines management advice
• Experience in health IT environments and people management
• Experience in budgeting and resource management
• Ability to develop guidelines/protocols and influence stakeholders
• Project management and process mapping experience
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical and presentation skills
• Knowledge of prescribing analysis tools and NHS governance and regulations

Responsibilities

• Lead the clinical pharmacy service within the Mental Health Network—community services
• Develop and deliver the clinical pharmacy service aligned to patient needs
• Act as a clinical role model for pharmacists in the network
• Manage medicines optimisation strategy and monitor outcomes
• Provide high-level mental health clinical pharmacy service and supervise others
• Tackle complex pharmaceutical problems and make autonomous decisions
• Provide training to junior staff, medics and nursing staff
• Inform the Chief Pharmacist on clinical and strategic issues and business plans

Job description

Job summaryWe are looking to offer a secondment into the mental health network community lead pharmacist role for 12 months due to the current postholder taking a career break. You would be part of the pharmacy leadership team accountable to the Chief Pharmacist and supported by the wider supportive team.

Main duties of the jobThe post holder will lead the management, development and delivery of the clinical pharmacy service and team to the Mental Health Network- community services with a focus on ensuring quality clinical pharmacy services are adequately aligned to patient need.

You will act as a clinical role model for clinical pharmacists working in the Mental Health Network- community services and demonstrate the ability to provide safe, clinically effective and cost efficient use of medicines in patients across all Mental Health Network- community services

About usWe are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.

Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We're really proud of our #PennineCarePeople and do everything we can to make sure we're a great place to work.

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.

If you come and work for us we will offer a range of benefits and opportunities, including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff.
• Flexible working opportunities to support your work/life balance
• Access to Continued Professional Development
• Involvement in improvement and research activities
• Health and Wellbeing activities and access to an excellent staff wellbeing service
• Access to staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel

Details Date posted: 11 September 2026Pay scheme: Agenda for changeBand: Band 8bSalary: £66,582 to £77,368 a year pa, pro rataContract: SecondmentWorking pattern: Full-timeReference number: 311-M296-26-AJob locations: Trust HQ, 225 old street, Ashton U Lyne, OL6 7SR, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

• To lead the clinical pharmacy service and its staff within the Mental Health Network- community services to ensure a high standard of service is available and delivered to wards, teams and services.
• To be responsible for strategically developing, planning and organising the clinical pharmacy service working with lead clinical pharmacists across the Mental Health Network- community services and associated care hubs.
• To manage and participate in the delivery of clinical pharmacy service to services within the Mental Health Network of Pennine Care NHSFT
• To deliver the medicines optimisation strategy and monitor the delivery of agreed outcomes
• To provide a highly specialist mental health clinical pharmacy service and act as a role model and supervisor for other clinical pharmacists
• In clinical situations, to manage complex and ambiguous pharmaceutical problems, tolerate uncertainty and make decisions autonomously with limited information.
• To provide training to junior pharmacy staff, medical staff and nursing staff across Pennine Care NHSFT as required
• To appraise the Chief Pharmacist on clinical and strategic issues leading development of business cases and business plans as required.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

• Current member of the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Evidence of CPD and commitment to life-long learning
• Relevant post graduate qualification, i.e. Diploma / MSc in Clinical Pharmacy / Pharmacy Practice, or Prescribing Sciences (or equivalent experience)
• Experience in a number of sectors of pharmacy (hospital, PCT medicines management team / GP practice)
• Experience in initiating, leading and implementing change and new developments
• Experience of training and supporting other members of staff
• Previous experience of providing IT/ medicines management advice or support
• Experience of working in health related IT setting
• Experience of people management
• Experience of resource/ budget management
• Experience of developing guidelines / protocols
• Experience of influencing and negotiating with internal and external stakeholders
• Experience of training healthcare professionals both individually and in groups
• Project management and business process mapping
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to inspire and motivate others, and problem solve
• Good analytical and presentation skills (verbal and written)
• Good clinical knowledge
• Expert user of Microsoft office software
• Knowledge of project management, in particular managing discrete projects from concept to completion
• Supervision and line management
• Knowledge of prescribing analysis tools and terminology
• In depth understanding of risk, governance frameworks and standards
• Knowledge and experience of clinical audit
• Familiar with health service reforms, primary care and the NHS as a whole
• Knowledge of legislation and regulations relating to pharmacy and use of medicines
• Political awareness

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Critical appraisal skills
• Data analysis skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work both as a team member and independently
• Ability to work with multidisciplinary, multi-agency groups
• Ability to plan own workload with priorities and objectives and work against tight deadlines
• Presentation and teaching skills

Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).