Job summaryAre you an experienced and enthusiastic clinical pharmacist with a passion for critical care? Kettering General Hospital is seeking a highly motivated Band 8a Critical Care Pharmacist to join our specialist pharmacy team. This is an exciting opportunity to provide expert pharmaceutical care to critically ill patients, work alongside a highly skilled ICU multidisciplinary team, and contribute to the development of innovative, high-quality critical care services. If you are looking for a role where you can influence patient outcomes, drive service improvement, and continue to develop your advanced clinical practice, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the jobTo have responsibility for delivering and developing specialist clinical pharmaceutical services to Critical Care. This will include the provision of expert advice on all pharmaceutical matters in line with application of legislation, national guidance and regulatory frameworks (e.g. CQC).
To actively participate in consultant and MDT ward rounds with joint regular reviews of prescriptions.
To ensure seamless pharmaceutical care during admission and on discharge from Critical Care. This includes ensuring medicine reconciliation takes place on the unit if not previously done on admission. Ensuring communication with the MDT and accurate documentation where discrepancies are noted.
To provide handover (verbal or written) to other pharmacist colleagues for patients transferred from Critical Care to ensure continuity of care.
To liaise with other health care professionals in primary care or other hospitals to ensure full information regarding a patient's drug history is available and there is no delay to patients receiving ongoing further supplies of medicines.
To work with the Critical care practice development team to provide education for the MDT on pharmaceutical matters.
To prescribe medicines to patients as laid out in the non-medical prescribing scope of practice. To undertake all prescribing as per Trust prescribing standard.
To attend Critical Care MDT meetings to discuss pharmaceutical care of current inpatients.
Job responsibilitiesCommunication- To communicate with Critical Care team, and EPMA pharmacist to ensure prescribing system is up-to-date relating to formulary, clinical guidelines and policies.
Planning and Organising- To monitor and report on drug spend within Critical Care, and theatres, noting reasons for variance (including changes in prescribing practice) and to identify priority areas for action to reduce expenditure or justify appropriate budgetary changes and methods of funding treatment.
- To highlight potential implications of the introduction of new medicines and national guidance (e.g. NICE publications) on the directorate, Trust expenditure and continued prescribing issues in primary care.
Personal and People development- To supervise and facilitate ongoing training of foundation trainee pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and early career pharmacists.
- To contribute to competency assessments and testimonials required of training records.
- To act as mentor or tutor for junior pharmacists working within Critical Care.
- To line manage one or more junior pharmacists or pharmacy technicians.
- To undertake regular 1:1s, annual appraisals and provide ongoing support.
- To provide educational training on medicines management topics related to own area of expertise to medical, nursing and other clinical staff within the Trust.
- To provide induction training sessions for all resident doctors on rotation to the Critical Care Unit.
- To achieve accreditation with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society as an Advanced Specialist Practitioner.
Health, safety and security- To promote the safe, cost-effective and evidence based use of medicines throughout the business unit (including Theatres, and Recovery) and offer specialist knowledge and expertise on drug therapy.
- To work collaboratively with ward managers to ensure the safe and secure storage and handling of medicines, including controlled drugs in Critical Care and in line with CQC requirements.
- To review the ward inventory (stock list) on a 3 monthly basis to ensure the continuing needs of the unit are met.
Service Improvement- To be responsible for the development of pharmaceutical policies and procedures within Critical Care.
- To undertake drug utilisation reviews ensuring that prescribing represents best value for money in terms of cost effectiveness as well as efficacy.
- To contribute to and where necessary prepare business cases for additional pharmaceutical resources (staffing, equipment or service development) in conjunction with Critical Care management and the Chief Pharmacist.
Quality- To work as an Independent prescriber alongside other MDT members of the Critical Care team.
- To work with all other clinical pharmacists in the provision of an out of hours on call service for advice and emergency supplies of medicines.
- To support the provision of a limited pharmacy service over weekends (for Saturday and Sunday sessions) and bank holidays on a rotational basis.
Person SpecificationEssential- Educated to master's degree in pharmacy level or equivalent level of education, training or experience
- Registration with the GPHC
- Postgraduate qualification in hospital Pharmacy or equivalent (3 years +)
- Registered Independent prescriber
- Member of Intensive Care Society
- Clinical experience in a range of ward/clinical areas
- Specialist knowledge of Critical Care and Nutrition
- Teaching/training/coaching/Tutor experience
- Experience of leading or implementing change
- Knowledge of current NHS and national priorities - CCG, NHSE, NICE, CQC
- Experience of working in Critical Care setting at Foundation level or equivalent critical care pharmacy experience
- Experience of attending MDT Ward rounds in Critical Care
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
- Time management/Organisation/Delegation/Prioritisation
- Demonstrable leadership skills - role model for junior clinical pharmacists and members of MDT
- Clinical Audit/Research Evaluation experience
- Passionate and committed to bring our Dedicated to Excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients and service users
Desirable- Working towards RPS Faculty recognition
- Member of UKCPA
Employer detailsEmployer name: Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address: University Hospitals of Northamptonshire, Northamptonshire, Kettering, NN16 8UZ, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.kgh.nhs.uk/working-for-us
ContactPrincipal Pharmacist, Surgery and Anaesthetics: Sushma Thakrar, sushma.thakrar@nhs.net, 01536491669
Reference number: 264-8302964-CSS
Closing date: 30 October 2026
University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) welcomes applications from all backgrounds and is committed to an inclusive working environment. Candidates who identify as members of the Armed Forces community and meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check. 