Senior Clinical Pharmacist Prescriber, Integrated Neighbourhood Teams

Job responsibilities

Key Result Areas & Performance:

1. Provide clinical leadership for the core INT team and support the Principal Pharmacist to develop the service to meet the needs of the PCNs and wider Lewisham INT model of care.

2. To supervise other non-clinical staff within the INT core team, including 1-2 caseworkers, link worker and health coach within the Neighbourhood for which responsible.

3.To deliver patient facing care and conduct multi-morbidity reviews to improve outcomes for patients with complex needs or provide support before needs become acute.

4. Participate in clinical audit to support evaluation of service delivery and inform improvement.

5. To work closely with other members of the core INT team including link workers, key workers, health equity team, GPs and community groups, linking with clinicians and staff within other community and secondary teams within both health and social care to ensure a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to care maintained.

6. Provide medicines management expertise and support to patients, other clinical and non-clinical staff as part of the INT model of care.

7. To practice and promote appropriate evidence-based and cost-effective prescribing and .de-prescribing where appropriate.

8. Provide highly specialist medicines management support and training for GPs, nurses and other members of the multi-disciplinary care team for patients with multi-morbidity in all settings.

9. To support the Principal Pharmacist with development of protocols in collaboration with key stakeholders as necessary to support service delivery.

Service Development

1. To work with the Principal Pharmacist for INT and other stakeholders to develop and refine service delivery models within the INT programme to support effective delivery of activity across all PCNs/ Neighbourhoods.

2.To work closely with colleagues and other staff involved in the INT programme to promote and embed the role of the INT into local pathways of care.

3.To provide operational and clinical support to developments around multi-morbidity and delivery of the INT model of care.

4. To support the planning and actions required to continuously improve the quality of service provided and ensure a quality improvement approach is taken to medication optimisation and any service development or re-design.

5. To contribute to and support the evaluation of outcome measures associated with the INT service

Clinical Services & Patient Care

1. To act as a clinical role model to other members of the wider MDT and provide direct supervision to non-clinical members within the core team in allocated Neighbourhood(s) to ensure improved outcomes achieved through the provision of holistic, team approach to care, which includes the safe and clinically cost-effective use of medicines.

2. To provide clinical leadership on medicines optimisation in the context of multi-morbidity across the core INT and wider setting.

3.To conduct patient facing and telephone consultations to independently review patients with complex multi-morbidity focusing on optimisation of cardiovascular disease management and improving long-term outcomes.

4. To collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) to develop and implement individualised care plans.

5. To provide clinical advice and support to other members of the INT including complex scenarios to ensure a high standard of patient care delivered within the INT framework.

6. To manage complex and non-routine medicines management problems in patients under the INT service, making onward referrals when needed.

7.To demonstrate an intuitive grasp of situations based on knowledge, expertise and understanding and to make decisions about drug therapy with limited information.

8.To work with colleagues to facilitate robust communication and onward referral pathways to support seamless care for patients managed by the INT service where complex medicines and/or other needs are identified.

9. To ensure efficient transfer of information related to complex medicines management needs across care interfaces and reconcile information received to ensure the safe transfer of care for vulnerable patients with complex medicines management needs.

10. To work as an independent prescriber and review medication to ensure that patients medicines are optimised for safety, effectiveness and cost-efficiency in line with competency and agreed scope of practice as approved by the relevant Trust governance process.

Information & Data Management

1. To contribute to the development of quantitative and qualitative performance measures, co-ordinate their use and be involved in disseminating, acting on and sharing learning from information gathered.

2. To participate in the design and collection of clinical audit data, leading implementation in designated areas and participate in research projects to improve the quality of care and inform best practices.

3. To utilise available information from audits, national guidelines, and benchmarking data to influence and implement improvement in service delivery.

4. To work closely with PCNs ensuring seamless integration of patient data for improved care co-ordination.

Staff Management and Education and Training

1. To line manage one to two caseworkers and link workers/health coach within the INT providing supervision, guidance and support to ensure effective teamwork and delivery of goals. This will include matrix working with PCN clinical leads and business managers and leads to effectively manage and co-ordinate team members. This will include supporting appraisals, objective setting and sickness management.

2. To work with the Principal Pharmacist and other leads to identify and support the design and delivery of education and training around the INT service (including medicines optimisation in multi-morbidity and holistic, cost-effective prescribing), to colleagues, and more widely across the system when needed. Training delivery will range from small communications to formal presentations.

3. To participate and contribute to clinical training programmes for trainee professionals across Lewisham where exposure to the INT model would aid learning and practice.

4. To evaluate and ensure continuous development of own professional knowledge and competencies by attendance at in house/external training programmes, and appropriate self- education.

Financial

1. To support and advise relevant leads and GP/primary care prescribers on delivering relevant QIPP, QoF and local targets in relation to medicines optimisation.

2. Toprovide medicines advice regarding the use of cost-effective drugs across the primary and secondary care interface to the relevant stakeholders.

3. To provide a value for money service to contribute to reduction of medicines related readmission of patients with complex medicines management needs by optimising medicines management and communication about medicines across care interfaces.

4. To support the delivery of targets in the general practice setting in relation to medicines optimisation within the quality and outcomes framework and enhanced services in defined areas of multi-morbidity.

Research & Development

1. To participate in clinical audit and research and development within the INT service and support publication of service results.

2. To develop initiatives in the delivery of medicines optimisation within the INT model of care and contribute to development quality standards for clinical effectiveness.

3. To develop working relationship and research links with academic units to promote collaboration in practice and research around medicines optimisation in multi-morbidity.

Communications and Relationships

1.To communicate clearly and sensitively about patient medicines management issues both internal and external to the Trust and in Primary Care Network setting.

2. To communicate and collaborate with the multidisciplinary healthcare team including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and social care professionals on a daily basis to address the complex needs of patients with multi-morbidity.

3. Tocommunicate complex and sensitive medication/ health care related issues to patients and relatives, including medication history taking, medication review and counselling and overcoming barriers to understanding and communication such as language, hearing, visual or cognitive difficulties. Tact and persuasive skills are required when negotiating with patients to improve adherence with medication advice, with empathy and re-assurance necessary to address patient concerns. Communication may be either verbal in the form of face-to-face contact, over the telephone or in written form.

4. To work closely with other services within primary care to ensure patient referrals that support improved outcomes for patients are made with appropriate escalation where required.

5. To act as a link between primary and secondary care, facilitating smoother transitions for patients and promoting integrated care pathways.

Education / Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in Pharmacy
• Postgraduate Diploma in either Clinical Pharmacy or General Pharmacy Practice (or equivalent)
• Registered with the GPC
• Registered and experienced pharmacist independent prescriber

Desirable

• Other postgradulate qualification relevant to pharmacy or health care practice such as management, leadership or education & training qualifications

Previous Experience

Essential

• Substantial post-registration experience in hospital pharmacy in an acute NHS healthcare setting or as a clinical pharmacist in GP Practice or Primary Care
• Experience of working in Primary Care
• Experience of clinical practice including optimisation of medication
• Experience of multi-professional and interface working across organisations
• Demonstrable experience of managing a team and developing services.
• Evidence of change management.
• Experience in line management and supervising others in a healthcare setting
• Practical experience in co-ordinating and leading on clinical audit.

Desirable

• Experience of design and delivery of training programmes.

Knowledge, Skills & Ability

Essential

• Ability to work on own initiative and effectively as part of a team both within own professional and a multidisciplinary environment
• Advanced clinical knowledge of managing multi-morbidities, particularly CVD
• Ability to delegate appropriately.
• Ability to manage difficult and complex issues or refer appropriately
• Ability to prioritise and plan work effectively alone and for a team.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex information effectively using clear written and spoken English and overcome barriers to understanding
• Self-motivation and the ability to motivate others within a team
• Ability to work positively and calmly under pressure
• Proficient in using EMIS and other healthcare IT systems for patient management/reporting and all Microsoft Office software with proven computer literacy and IT skills
• Demonstrated ability to supervise others including teaching and assessment in accordance with a learning plan
• Knowledge of the mentorship process

Desirable

• In depth specialist knowledge of NHS clinical governance strategy, policy and current issues
• Familiarity with integrated care models
• Evidence of publications.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Able to demonstrate high levels of communication skills involving negotiation and co-operation using highly complex sensitive and contentious information.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to work across diverse teams and with patients
• Demonstrable ability to prioritise work, and meet deadlines
• To be able to negotiate with health professionals in a diplomatic manner, including when knowledge is challenged, occasionally in an emotional atmosphere.
• Flexible approach to work
• Self-motivated with demonstrable willingness to learn and develop new skills
• Reliable, polite and approachable
• Ability to cope with challenges and change
• Knows own professional and personal limitations and seeks advice where necessary
• Demonstrable ability to inspire others to be positive in support of continuous improvement

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).