North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Chief Pharmacist

The closing date is 15 February 2026

Job summary

At NEAS we are passionate about the delivery of high quality clinical care and are committed to developing our services centred around the communities we serve. We continue to strengthen the clinical and professional leadership of our workforce in a way that advances our professional capabilities and service delivery for patient care.

Our Chief Pharmacist is a key senior clinical leadership role responsible for providing strategic medicines management leadership across the Trust, ensuring the safe, effective and legal management of medicines whilst driving excellence in medicines optimisation, governance and patient safety. As the Trust's senior pharmacy professional, this role provides expert clinical guidance on all aspects of medicines management within the pre-hospital urgent & emergency care environment.

Leading the work of the Medicines Management Team through exceptional role modelling and demonstration of high standard behaviours and values, we are now looking for an inspirational individual to join us in driving our vision forward.

Assessment and interviews will be held Thursday 05 March 2026 at NEAS Trust HQ.

Main duties of the job

As the Trust's Chief Pharmacist, you will be responsible for ensuring full compliance with all statutory and legal requirements relating to medicines, controlled drugs and medical gases, providing strategic leadership on medicines governance for the organisation. Working closely with the Director of Paramedicine & AHPs and the Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer, you will develop and maintain robust governance frameworks, audit systems and policies that ensure the highest standards of patient safety.

As a vital part of the Trust's senior clinical team, you will lead the medicines management team in how the Trust procures, stores, prescribes, administers and dispenses medicines. You will oversee the development of Patient Group Directions and clinical protocols, provide expert guidance on antimicrobial stewardship, and drive continuous improvements in medicines optimisation across all operational areas.

Working strategically with local, regional and national stakeholders including commissioners, the National Ambulance Pharmacists Network, and partner NHS organisations, you will represent the Trust at senior forums.

About us

We employ 3,500 staff in 63 locations and serve a population of 2,600,000 in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham, and Tees over 3230 square miles.

Many people think the job of the ambulance service is to collect patients and take them to hospital, but we do much more!

Paramedic skills have developed hugely in recent years, meaning we carry out more treatment at the scene and en-route to hospital.

We have a dedicated clinical assessment service that allows us to provide patients with the most appropriate care from the beginning of the patient journey.

We have a specialised branch of the Trust called HART which deal with explosions or terrorist attacks.

Ultimately patients are the heart of everything that we do to support our mission of "safe, effective and responsive care for all".

We value and respect the diversity employees bring to our workplace. We recruit a workforce that reflects the community we serve, and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds. To ensure we deliver on our aims in relation to diversity and inclusion we assess ourselves against a range of frameworks. We are ENEI Gold employer, Disability Confident Leader, Dementia Friendly, and part of Mind Blue Light programme and the Race at Work Charter from the Princes Responsible Business Network and are achieving across all objectives in NHS Equality Delivery System.

From 01/04/25 If your role needs a DBS you'll be subject to salary deduction totaling £49.50, spread over first and second pay.

Details

Date posted

22 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£76,965 to £88,682 a year Pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

340-CPharm-01-26

Job locations

Bernicia House

Goldcrest Way

Newburn Riverside Business Park

NE15 8NY


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification documents where you will find full details of the role and responsibilities.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification documents where you will find full details of the role and responsibilities.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree in Pharmacy or Pharmaceutical Sciences (or equivalent) MPharm, BSc or BPharm
  • Post graduate clinical diploma in clinical pharmacy
  • Evidence of a Management qualification or equivalent experience

Professional Membership

Essential

  • Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a pharmacist

Desirable

  • Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Minimum 3 years registration
  • Meets the capabilities as outlined in the GPhC Chief Pharmacist standards
  • Extensive legal knowledge in relation to pharmacy issues and risk management processes.
  • Experience in a healthcare environment
  • Knowledge of clinical governance practices
  • Experience of identifying and interpreting national policy and translating this into practice

Other

Essential

  • Full Driving Licence
Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree in Pharmacy or Pharmaceutical Sciences (or equivalent) MPharm, BSc or BPharm
  • Post graduate clinical diploma in clinical pharmacy
  • Evidence of a Management qualification or equivalent experience

Professional Membership

Essential

  • Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a pharmacist

Desirable

  • Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Minimum 3 years registration
  • Meets the capabilities as outlined in the GPhC Chief Pharmacist standards
  • Extensive legal knowledge in relation to pharmacy issues and risk management processes.
  • Experience in a healthcare environment
  • Knowledge of clinical governance practices
  • Experience of identifying and interpreting national policy and translating this into practice

Other

Essential

  • Full Driving Licence

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

North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bernicia House

Goldcrest Way

Newburn Riverside Business Park

NE15 8NY


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bernicia House

Goldcrest Way

Newburn Riverside Business Park

NE15 8NY


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Executive Assistant

Leanne Stansfield

leanne.stansfield@neas.nhs.uk

07972555872

Details

Date posted

22 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£76,965 to £88,682 a year Pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

340-CPharm-01-26

Job locations

Bernicia House

Goldcrest Way

Newburn Riverside Business Park

NE15 8NY


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)