Lead Pharmacist Critical Care

Job responsibilities

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 Trusts eHospital digital medicines systems and their context in adult critical care, promoting safe and efficient use of technology to enhance clinical practice.

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

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters level degree in pharmacy.
• Registered as a pharmacist with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
• Diploma in General Pharmacy Practice or Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy (or equivalent)*.
• Registered as an independent prescriber with the GPhC.
• 'Train the trainer' course (or equivalent). Note: there is a requirement to undertake training in Epic (Trust electronic prescribing and medicines administration [EPMA] system) and complete a competence assessment. *Candidates with non UK/alternative qualifications will be requested to provide further details before shortlisting. These will include details of the course provider and a copy of the academic transcript In English and the translation officially notarised. Information will be reviewed by our Education and Training team to assess suitability.

Desirable

• MSc in Clinical Pharmacy (or equivalent qualification)*.
• Leadership or management development course.
• Risk management training.
• Medicines reconciliation.
• Member of Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
• Working towards achievement on the RPS Advanced Critical Care credential
• Research degree (MSc,MRes, PhD) or working towards this qualification.

Experience

Essential

• Extensive recent post-registration hospital experience as a clinical pharmacist at band 8a in critical care in a teaching hospital.
• Recent significant experience of patient consultation.
• Experienced clinical pharmacist practicing in critical care who has covered a range of clinical specialities.
• Highly specialised knowledge of drugs and therapeutic trends in critical care.
• Experience of the practical implementation of national guidance in drug use (e.g. NICE).
• Experience of documenting pharmaceutical care issues in patient notes.
• Experience of writing professional reports.
• Experience of developing and reviewing patient group directions and shared care guidelines, drug policies and treatment guidelines.
• Evidence of having written, supervised, conducted and implemented the outcomes of clinical audit.
• Experience of the practical application of antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.
• Experience of drug expenditure analysis and reporting.
• Experience of the management of high-cost and high-risk medicines.
• Experience as a personal tutor to a range of pre- and post-registration pharmacy staff groups.
• Experience of developing and leading on projects including change management and service development.
• Experience of working within a regional or national group to implement new or changed guidance.
• Previous management experience with responsibility for pharmacy staff

Desirable

• Extensive recent post-registration hospital experience as a clinical pharmacist at band 8b in critical care in a teaching hospital.
• Experienced clinical pharmacist who has covered a range of clinical specialities in more than one hospital.
• Recent practical experience of independent prescribing for a designated group of patients.
• Experience of writing a business case.
• Experience of managing and supervising a research project.
• Experience of writing for pharmaceutical or educational publications.
• Experience of horizon scanning.
• Experience of leading on implementation of a national development or change in pharmacy practice
• Experience of strategic medicines optimisation with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of planning and accrediting an educational course
• Experience of research methodology, study design and grant application for practice research.
• Experience of participating in an Ethics or Research and Development Committee.

Knowledge

Essential

• Advanced detailed clinical knowledge of drugs and therapeutic trends within critical care.
• Knowledge of NICE,NHS England), NHS Improvement patient safety teamguidance/alerts and their local implementation
• Knowledge of UK healthcare systems and NHS changes.
• Computer literate with knoweldge of Word, Powerpoint and Excel (or equivalent IT systems).
• Familiar with the use of a range of visual aids for teaching.
• Knowledge of pharmacy computer systems.
• Knowledge of electronic prescribing IT systems.
• Knowledge and experience of clinical audit methodology.
• Knowledge and experience of critical appraisal skills.
• Knowledge of systems for non-medical prescribing.
• Knowledge of NHS commissioning processes

Desirable

• Knowledge of electronic prescribing and medicines administration IT systems.
• Knowledge and experience of practice research methodology.

Skills

Essential

• Be able to lead, manage and work well in a team.
• Be able to listen to and act on the direction of senior management.
• Be able to oversee the provision of high quality pharmaceutical care of patients by the pharmacy team and identify / resolve issues arising.
• Show the ability to empathise with patients / carers.
• Be able to produce high quality written reports.
• Be able to remain calm and work effectively under pressure to deadlines to achieve results.
• Be able to teach, train, coach and mentor a range of staff groups.
• Be able to produce support materials for staff training and development.
• Be able to lead, manage and work well in a team.
• Be able to listen to and act on the direction of senior management.
• Be able to oversee the provision of high quality pharmaceutical care of patients by the pharmacy team and identify / resolve issues arising.
• Show the ability to empathise with patients / carers.
• Be able to produce high quality written reports.
• Be able to remain calm and work effectively under pressure to deadlines to achieve results.
• Be able to teach, train, coach and mentor a range of staff groups.
• Be able to produce support materials for staff training and development.

Desirable

• The appointee will be able to write research proposals and successful grant applications.

Additional Requirements

Essential

• The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

UK Registration

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