Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Chief Pharmacist

The closing date is 30 September 2025

Job summary

We are seeking a dedicated, inclusive and innovative Chief Pharmacist who would like to further their career within Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

As one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of the biggest employers in Nottinghamshire, we provide care to more than two million people a year. We employ over 10,000 colleagues, providing intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic and offender healthcare services, delivered from over 257 locations within the community from acute settings and across low, medium and high secure environments including prisons. We are also home to national and regional services such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

Main duties of the job

You will be an excellent communicator who is a skilled, visible leader who has the experience to develop the strategic vision for pharmacy services and ensure its implementation across the Trust. You will be responsible for the safe, secure, and effective provision, management and strategic direction of all aspects of pharmacy and medicines management services across the Trust, delivering high quality pharmaceutical service to patients and staff.

About us

#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.

We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

The health and wellbeing of colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment.

Details

Date posted

10 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 9

Salary

£109,179 to £125,637 a year Per annum (pro rata for part time)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

186-1121-25-CS

Job locations

Highbury Hospital

Nottingham

NG6 9DR


Job description

Job responsibilities

You will provide clinical and professional leadership, quality and risk management and lead the strategic development of the service as well as ensuring maintenance of a research and development framework. You will ensure that the Trust's Pharmacy services are progressive and responsive to internal and external demand, patient focused, safe, efficient, effective and well-led.

You will be the expert voice on pharmacy matters to the Executive Board; responsible for the oversight and governance of medicines, including the development, implementation and maintenance of a medicines optimisation strategy.

Applicants requiring a Skilled Worker Visa can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship against the relevant criteria herehttps://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Job description

Job responsibilities

You will provide clinical and professional leadership, quality and risk management and lead the strategic development of the service as well as ensuring maintenance of a research and development framework. You will ensure that the Trust's Pharmacy services are progressive and responsive to internal and external demand, patient focused, safe, efficient, effective and well-led.

You will be the expert voice on pharmacy matters to the Executive Board; responsible for the oversight and governance of medicines, including the development, implementation and maintenance of a medicines optimisation strategy.

Applicants requiring a Skilled Worker Visa can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship against the relevant criteria herehttps://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree in pharmacy.
  • Current registration with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
  • Postgraduate qualification in Management or Leadership to Masters level or equivalent.

Desirable

  • College of Mental Health Pharmacy (CMHP) member.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of the interpretation of national policy and local implications thereof.
  • Experience of policy development and implementation.
  • Experience of effective leadership of a service and service provision, including staff management and associated human resources processes.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Extensive knowledge of medicines optimisation and medicines management including budget setting.
  • Knowledge of controlled drugs and medicines legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management/leadership.
  • Knowledge of mental health and community health prescribing issues in primary and secondary care.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of pharmacy and EPMA systems.
  • Knowledge of antimicrobial stewardship.

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills, presentation skills and written communication skills
  • Ability to gain the confidence and credibility of a range of professionals, service users and carers.
  • Ability to motivate self and others to encourage collaborative working to improve performance.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree in pharmacy.
  • Current registration with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
  • Postgraduate qualification in Management or Leadership to Masters level or equivalent.

Desirable

  • College of Mental Health Pharmacy (CMHP) member.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of the interpretation of national policy and local implications thereof.
  • Experience of policy development and implementation.
  • Experience of effective leadership of a service and service provision, including staff management and associated human resources processes.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Extensive knowledge of medicines optimisation and medicines management including budget setting.
  • Knowledge of controlled drugs and medicines legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management/leadership.
  • Knowledge of mental health and community health prescribing issues in primary and secondary care.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of pharmacy and EPMA systems.
  • Knowledge of antimicrobial stewardship.

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills, presentation skills and written communication skills
  • Ability to gain the confidence and credibility of a range of professionals, service users and carers.
  • Ability to motivate self and others to encourage collaborative working to improve performance.

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).

Additional information

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Highbury Hospital

Nottingham

NG6 9DR


Employer's website

https://www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Highbury Hospital

Nottingham

NG6 9DR


Employer's website

https://www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Executive Medical Director

Dr Sue Elcock

susan.elcock2@nottshc.nhs.uk

01159691300

Details

Date posted

10 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 9

Salary

£109,179 to £125,637 a year Per annum (pro rata for part time)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

186-1121-25-CS

Job locations

Highbury Hospital

Nottingham

NG6 9DR


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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