Specialist Clinical Pharmacist

Job summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

Do you enjoy working clinically but not ready to specialise yet? Do you want to gain experience in a large teaching hospital learning from advanced level and consultant pharmacists?

UHS has one of the largest pharmacy departments in the country with over 300 staff and are nationally recognised for their innovation. The pharmacist team is made up of over 100 pharmacists: including over 50 qualified independent pharmacist prescribers and five consultant pharmacists and leading national experts. We are committed to supporting all our pharmacists in their development.

Our band 7 clinical rotational pharmacists spend 9 months in each rotation gaining clinical experience and skills to support their development in Leadership and Management, Education and Research. We are committed to developing new rotations and opportunities to allow you to move to the next stage of your career.

Specific to this role we are open to discussing flexibility in the hours that you work. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you need, and we will explore what's possible for the role and service.

About us

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to.

All non-clinical roles may involve a mixture of on site and remote working, Specific details and flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated 'Good' by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.

UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Job description

Job responsibilities

You will have the opportunity for development as you rotate through the available rotations and this role provides the ideal opportunity for you to work with specialist and consultant pharmacists while you decide where you would like to develop your own specialism. Our rotations include

MedicineYou will have the opportunity to work in one of the following specialities; respiratory, gastro/hepatology, elderly care or AMU. Your responsibilities will vary depending on which area you are assigned but will include supporting ward rounds and attending multidisciplinary team meetings.

NeurosciencesUHS is a tertiary referral centre for neurology and neurosurgery. During your rotation you will initially cover a neurosurgical ward, but later you may rotate to cover other specialities such as stroke and spinal. You will also encounter other neurological conditions during your rotation, such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons, myasthenia gravis, and other motor/sensory neuropathies

SurgeryYou will be expected to provide ward cover to a specific surgical area, ( maxillo-facial, lower/upper gastrointestinal). You will be given the opportunity to attend the morning ward round, attend a microbiology multidisciplinary ward round and there will be opportunities to develop skills in nutrition support and intestinal failure working with the wider MDT.

Critical CareYou will spend time working with the consultant pharmacist and very experienced Critical Care pharmacists and attending consultant lead multidisciplinary ward rounds. You will spend time on the Surgical High Dependency Unit and General, Cardiac and Neuro intensive care units.

Cardiovascular and ThoracicsWorking as part of the cardiovascular and thoracic care group pharmacy team you will gain experience in a variety of areas including cardiology, cardiac surgery, thoracic and vascular surgery and congenital heart disease.

MicrobiologyThe microbiology rotation at UHS offers the opportunity to work as part of a highly respected team with links into the infection MDT. The rotation includes participation in antibiotic stewardship activities including: microbiology and infectious diseases ward rounds and surveillance of prescribing and resistance trends. Our Band 7 pharmacists typically , have clinical input into the OPAT service and lead on our C.difficile work.

OncologyYou will have the opportunity to work within a dedicated oncology pharmacy with a team of pharmacists and technicians. Here you will be involved in all stages of the process from the initial screening of the prescription to checking the final item. Your role will also involve providing ward cover to one of our specialist oncology wards.

Children's ServicesWe have a self-directed training pack to introduce childrens pharmacy if you have not covered a childrens ward before. As a large childrens hospital we have all the clinical specialities you would expect including critical care and oncology. You will receive a broad experience across different services providing ward cover and attending a relevant ward round.

Diabetes and EndocrineThe post holder will have the opportunity to work in a variety of roles in local and regional project work around diabetes and endocrinology, alongside the opportunity to develop further clinical skills in diabetes and endocrinology inpatient and outpatient activity.

ManagementIn conjunction with a clinical rotation you will support the Lead Pharmacist Operation and Supply Services to develop management and leadership skills and developing evidence for these competencies in the advanced practice curriculum.

In all our rotations you will be expected to provide some support to the trainee pharmacists. There will also be the opportunity to get involved with formulary applications and other budgetary matters. You will also have the opportunity to provide teaching to various health professionals, undertake audit work and develop guidelines.

Main duties of the job additional :

We are potentially able to offer this role as a band 6-7 progression post and as such we are advertising both a band 7 and a band 6-to-7 progressive position. Our preferred candidate would be someone who is able to work immediately at band 7 level. Therefore if we have an applicant who is appointable to the role, they will be offered the position. However if we do not have a suitable band 7 applicant, then we will consider offering the post as a development opportunity to a pharmacist who fulfils the requirements of a band 6 pharmacist and is willing to work towards becoming a band 7 pharmacist. A pharmacist appointed on a 6-7 progression post will complete shorter rotations in a bespoke programme to aid their development.

All pharmacists are expected to participate in extended hours including late nights and weekend dispensary support on a rotational basis.

Working for your organisation additional: If you have the enthusiasm and are committed to team working with good communication skills, we can provide additional training and development to support you. We have a strong commitment to developing pharmacist independent prescribers and to continuing professional development and training. The post-holder will be encouraged to work towards the new RPS core Advanced Practice Curriculum and have the opportunity to undertake further study in either clinical or management qualifications. We are also keen to support pharmacists developing as researchers and can offer support via the Southampton Pharmacy Research Centre.

Person Specification

Trust values

Essential

Patient First Always Improving Working Together

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

Essential

Masters Degree in Pharmacy GPhC registration Sound knowledge of a surgical or medical speciality acquired working within a suitable specialty Meets Foundation framework/ GLF competencies Audit and evaluative work Sound understanding of healthcare priorities and political agendas Experience of teaching and tutoring

Desirable

Postgraduate diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent experience MRPharmS or equivalent Working towards RPS Advanced Core portfolio submission Training in medicines information Preparation of prescribing guidelines

Skills and competencies

Essential

Communication Attention to detail Report writing Presentation skills Microsoft Office skills Organisational skills Problem solving Time management Prioritisation Negotiation skills Influencing Change management

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