Principal Pharmacist - Gastro & Respiratory

NHS; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

An NHS Trust is looking for a Principal Pharmacist specializing in Gastro & Respiratory. This full-time role involves leading pharmacy services, developing teams, and enhancing patient care across departments. The ideal candidate will possess strong clinical experience and a commitment to innovative pharmaceutical care.

Benefits

Free on-site parking

Free tea and coffee

Flexible working opportunities

Discounted gym membership

Lease car scheme

Generous annual leave

Pension scheme

Health and well-being programme

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years experience in a hospital clinical post.
• Evidence of ongoing CPD as required by the GPhC.
• Experience in project management and critical care.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop pharmacy services for Respiratory Medicine & Gastroenterology.
• Manage the pharmacy team within the Medicine Division.
• Provide expert advice on pharmaceutical matters ensuring compliance.

Skills

Clinical experience

Team work

Time management

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Degree in Pharmacy

Postgraduate Clinical Diploma

Registered with the GPhC

MSc in Clinical Pharmacy Practice

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Go back Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Principal Pharmacist - Gastro & Respiratory

The closing date is 26 June 2025

Department: Pharmacy

Band 8a: £53,755 - £60,504 per annum

Full-Time 37.5 per week, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working

Are you an experienced Pharmacist with a passion for the care of patients in respiratory medicine and gastroenterology? Would you like to be part of our multi-disciplinary team who contribute to the care of these patient groups throughout their hospital journey? Are you keen to develop our approach to pharmaceutical care for respiratory medicine and gastroenterology? If this describes you, we invite you to get in touch with us.

Now is an excellent time to become part of the pharmacy team at MKUH; we are friendly, forward-thinking & innovative department who contribute to grow in both size & influence. Recent enhancements to our working environment include a major departmental refurbishment, introduction of a new Pharmacy Robot, the establishment of a new Pharmacy & Aseptic Unit in the Caner Centre & opening of a new Outpatient Pharmacy.

If successful, you will be joining a friendly, welcoming & supportive team that encourages both professional and personal development. Are you the person to help us make this happen? If so, we look forward to hearing from you.

For additional information about this post, please contact Jill McDonald - Associated Director of Pharmacy - Clinical Services, Education, Training & Workforce on 01908 995712 or [e-mail]

Interview date: 07.07.2025

Main duties of the job

• To lead the development, delivery & evaluation of pharmacy services to the Medicine Division (with a focus on Respiratory Medicine & Gastroenterology).
• To manage and develop the pharmacy team within the Medicine Division (with a focus on Respiratory Medicine & Gastroenterology).
• To facilitate and support the efficient and cost effective use of medicines across the Medicine Division (with a focus on Respiratory Medicine & Gastroenterology).
• To provide expert advice on all pharmaceutical matters which arise within the Medicine Division (with a focus on Respiratory Medicine & Gastroenterology) while ensuring compliance with risk management frameworks and medicines legislation.
• To comply with pharmacy procedures, Clinical Governance, Quality Assurance and Risk Management.
• To collaborate with and provide cover for the Principal Pharmacists in other areas as appropriate.
• To deputise for the Pharmacist Manager - Medicines Optimisation in matters relating to the Medicine Division (with a focus on Respiratory Medicine & Gastroenterology) as appropriate.

About us

"Our staff scored Autonomy and Control at 7.19, well above the national average. Here, you're trusted to lead, innovate and shape your work (NHS Staff Survey 2024)."

You can expect a warm welcome at Milton Keynes University Hospital, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At MKUH we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:

• Free on-site parking
• Free tea and coffee
• Great flexible workingopportunities
• Discounted gym membership
• Lease car scheme
• Generous annual leave and pension scheme
• Extensive staff health and well-being programme

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital; we conduct research and teaching on site to improve the care of our patients. The hospital is undergoing significant investment, and we are proud to be rated good by the CQC. Visit our website to catch up on our latest news.

Job responsibilities

Our services are evolving to provide our pharmacist and pharmacy technicians with more time to work alongside patients while supporting their medical and nursing colleagues. Our commitment is to ensure that every patient receives safe, high-quality care, placing our patients at the heart of our mission. This role is an ideal opportunity for a skilled and dedicated pharmacist looking for experience at a more senior level.

To support the provision of clinical pharmacy services across the Medical Division, we are looking for an enthusiastic, highly motivated pharmacist to join our team and lead Medicines Optimisation services to our Respiratory Medicine and Gastroenterology wards and departments.

Working alongside the Pharmacist Manager / Clinical Lead for Medicine and other Principal Pharmacists with the Division of Medicine, you will be responsible for the development and delivery of Medicines Optimisation and Clinical Pharmacy services across the medical division and for the management of specialist, Rotational and Foundation Pharmacists working within your area. We are looking for an individual who shows a commitment to delivering excellence and working with us to make pharmacy a great place to be, for all staff in our wider team. A can-do approach and commitment to self and service development is essential. If you are passionate about medicines optimisation and development pharmacy services for the future, this post is an ideal opportunity for you to build upon your clinical experience and further develop your management and leadership skills.

This role is crucial to the delivery, development and evaluation of pharmaceutical services across the hospital. It plays a key part in helping divisions optimise medicines use within available resources.

Our standard working hours consist of 4 long days (8am to 6:30pm) per week; in additional you will be required to work Saturdays, Sundays and BH on a rota basis. After a period of induction and training, you will contribute to the two-tier pharmacy out-of-hours service.

Trust responsibilities:

• To be partof the pharmacy team and work with staff within the pharmacy department and across the Trust, to enable the objectives of the Trust to be achieved.

Clinical responsibilities:

• To be responsible for the clinical screening of prescriptions according to locally agreed standards.

Professional responsibilities:

• To assist the Associate Director of Pharmacy (Clinical Services and ET&WD) and the Pharmacist Managers Medicines Optimisation in all aspects of the development and delivery of clinical service to the division (with a focus on Respiratory Medicine & Gastroenterology).

Operational responsibilities:

• To act as the clinical team lead for the pharmacy services to the division (with a focus on Respiratory Medicine & Gastroenterology).

Education & training responsibilities:

• To act as an accredited tutor for relevant post graduate qualifications and meeting local requirements (as required).

Human Resource Management responsibilities:

• To deputise for the Pharmacist Manager Medicines Optimisation and represent the Milton Keynes Hospital at relevant departmental, local, regional and national meetings and forums.

Development & planning:

• To develop the pharmacy service in the areas you are responsible for and push the boundaries of what pharmacy can do in support of the medicines optimisation agenda

Please refer to the Job Description for further details.

We believe success lies in the diversity of our employees and are committed to promoting equality, encouraging diversity and embracing inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us.

MKUH is committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and as such we offer a range of flexible working practices.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.

By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.

Upon commencing employment with the Trust, all employees (except Medical & Dental Staff on national terms and conditions) are subject to a probationary period lasting a period of six months with an option to extend for a further six months to a total of 12 months.

Person Specification

Qualifications and knowledge

• Degree in Pharmacy
• Registered with the GPhC
• Postgraduate Clinical Diploma at Masters level or above.
• Evidence of ongoing CPD as required by the GPhC
• Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• MSc in Clinical Pharmacy Practice

Experience

• Significant post registration experience with at least 3 years in a hospital clinical post
• Proven experience in surgical services including experience in critical care
• Experience of managing drug expenditure for a specialty and understanding budgets
• Previous evaluations reviews of medicines used in the specialty's patient group.
• Experience as a trainer
• Experience working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide patient care
• Experience of audit work.
• An awareness of national standards and service delivery issues relevant to the directorate's patient group.
• Experience of appraising staff and giving feedback
• Introduction of a new service
• Project management
• Published work
• Knowledge of the medical management of disease in the specialty's patients

Skills

• Ability to manage time effectively and work to deadlines demonstrated in a previous post
• Ability to plan, prioritise and organise self and others
• Effective verbal and written communication demonstrated in a previous post.
• I.T. skills such as computer literacy, word processing and spreadsheet skills.
• Problem solving
• Good team work and ability to work alone
• Critical appraisal skills
• Radical thinking
• Ability to motivate and act as a role model
• Ability to use Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word

Personal and people development

• Experience of supervising and developing colleagues
• Evidence of Continuous Professional Development

Communication

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to influence others
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written

Specific requirements

• Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations

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.

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust