Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust

Lead Clinical Pharmacist

The closing date is 07 October 2025

Job summary

We are recruiting to a key strategic leadership role within the CNTW Pharmacy Department and are seeking a pharmacist with strong leadership skills to drive and deliver innovative services across the Morpeth/Northumberland area (North Locality).

This is a rare opportunity to join a forward-thinking team and lead services across the Pharmacy Department, wider Trust, and local system. The successful candidate will be an effective communicator with strong listening skills and the ability to build relationships and lead a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team. You will provide proactive pharmaceutical support to clinicians, managers, patients, and carers.

Our pharmacy team delivers medicines optimisation and clinical pharmacy services across all mental health, learning disability, and neuro-rehabilitation inpatient units, as well as to community mental health, crisis, liaison, and specialist teams. Pharmacists are highly valued members of the multi-disciplinary team, and many are independent prescribers working in a variety of clinical areas.

The CNTW Pharmacy Service is well regarded, with a strong reputation for delivering safe, high-quality care. We are an award-winning team recognised by the Care Quality Commission, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, and Health Services Journal. Our innovative, progressive service model includes medicines supply, clinical services, and governance functions.

Main duties of the job

  • Provide operational and clinical leadership and development of the clinical pharmacy services to a nominated Locality Care Group within the Trust ensuring they are safe, effective, responsive and efficient
  • Provide day to day management of the clinical pharmacy team within your locality
  • Lead and provide subject expert input into a Locality Care Group and associated Clinical Business Units (CBUs) regarding clinical pharmacy and medicines optimisation
  • Provide leadership, management, support and guidance to clinical pharmacy staff working within a locality
  • Where appropriate, contribute to discussions involving external stakeholders regarding medicine use within a locality

Our Medicines Optimisation forward plan has recently been approved by the Trust, setting the course for our further service and workforce development over the next few years. You will lead on the delivery of this plan within the North Locality. Previous experience in mental health is not essential but an awareness of current issues within this arena would be expected.

Our Pharmacy department is open Monday-Friday 8:30-17:00. An emergency duty pharmacist is available outside of the opening hours as well as over the weekend. This role will require the postholder to complete emergency duty work on a rota basis.

About us

We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.

The North East of England and Cumbria boasts some of Britain's most beautiful scenery, coastline and national parks. It offers affordable house prices, good connectivity and train links with some major cities. It can offer a fantastic quality of life and working for our Trust promotes a great work life balance. We have bases in many beautiful places which can give our staff the opportunity to explore some of these surrounding areas.

The Trust may also offer financial support for successful candidates who need to relocate.

As a department, we are committed to developing and supporting our staff to achieve the maximum they can from their career, whilst delivering outstanding patient centred care. We offer flexible working and other health and wellbeing benefits.

To find out more about our department and see what our team has to say you can watch our YouTube video https://youtu.be/JgVFF1jMsuY

Details

Date posted

23 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

263-SS25-079-EW

Job locations

St Georges Park Hospital

Morpeth

NE61 2NU


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please note that all applicants must be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Please find attached job description for full details.

Advertising date : 23rd September 2025

Closing date : 7th October 2025

We welcome your application.

Proposed date for interview: Wednesday 22nd October

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please note that all applicants must be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Please find attached job description for full details.

Advertising date : 23rd September 2025

Closing date : 7th October 2025

We welcome your application.

Proposed date for interview: Wednesday 22nd October

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

  • MPharm or equivalent first degree in Pharmacy
  • Postgraduate clinical qualification to diploma level or above
  • Registration with General Pharmaceutical Council
  • Qualified Pharmacist Independent Prescriber
  • Specialist competencies in area relevant to practice

Desirable

  • Management/Leadership qualification or equivalent relevant experience

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Substantial post registration experience within NHS pharmacy practice
  • Human resources management
  • Significant experience in providing medicines management support services within an NHS organization
  • Demonstrable understanding of Key NHS and pharmacy issues
  • Experience of managing others
  • Willing to work towards credentialing as a Consultant-ready pharmacist

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent verbal & written communication skills
  • Ability to deliver high quality work to deadline
Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

  • MPharm or equivalent first degree in Pharmacy
  • Postgraduate clinical qualification to diploma level or above
  • Registration with General Pharmaceutical Council
  • Qualified Pharmacist Independent Prescriber
  • Specialist competencies in area relevant to practice

Desirable

  • Management/Leadership qualification or equivalent relevant experience

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Substantial post registration experience within NHS pharmacy practice
  • Human resources management
  • Significant experience in providing medicines management support services within an NHS organization
  • Demonstrable understanding of Key NHS and pharmacy issues
  • Experience of managing others
  • Willing to work towards credentialing as a Consultant-ready pharmacist

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent verbal & written communication skills
  • Ability to deliver high quality work to deadline

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.

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.

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

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust

Address

St Georges Park Hospital

Morpeth

NE61 2NU


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust

Address

St Georges Park Hospital

Morpeth

NE61 2NU


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Deputy Chief Pharmacist

Anthony Young

anthony.young@cntw.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

23 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

263-SS25-079-EW

Job locations

St Georges Park Hospital

Morpeth

NE61 2NU


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)