Job SummaryWe are seeking a highly motivated and experienced pharmacist to join our team as a Band 8a Senior Pharmacist for the Care of the Elderly service.
The Senior Pharmacist for Care of the Elderly is a key clinical role within the Trust's pharmacy service, based at Leighton Hospital. The post holder will deliver high-quality, patient-focused clinical pharmacy services for older adults across inpatient care, supporting pathways and complex multimorbidity.
We are committed to an inclusive pharmacy workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve, creating a compassionate and respectful environment where all staff feel valued and supported.
Working with consultants, specialist nurses and multidisciplinary teams, the post holder will ensure safe, effective and evidence-based use of medicines, including optimisation, prescribing support and deprescribing for patients with polypharmacy and complex therapeutic needs.
Reporting to the Lead Pharmacists, the role will support service development, governance and implementation of medicines optimisation priorities, combining advanced clinical practice with responsibilities in audit, quality improvement, education and patient safety.
The role requires expert clinical judgement and participation in on-call, weekend and late rotas.
Main Duties of the JobThe Senior Pharmacist is responsible for delivering advanced clinical pharmacy services within Care of the Elderly, including medicines reconciliation, clinical review, prescribing (where appropriate), and management of complex pharmaceutical care for older adults with frailty and polypharmacy.
The post holder will work directly on wards, contributing to consultant-led ward rounds and multidisciplinary team discussions to support safe, effective prescribing and improved patient outcomes. They will lead on medicines optimisation initiatives such as deprescribing, adherence support and antimicrobial stewardship, and identify opportunities to reduce length of stay and medicines-related delays to discharge.
Working closely with the Lead Pharmacist, the role will contribute to service development, implementation of national guidance and continuous improvement of clinical pharmacy services within the speciality.
Governance responsibilities include participation in audit, risk management, incident reporting and development of medication-related guidelines, ensuring compliance with Trust policies and safe systems of work.
The post holder will also support education and training of pharmacy, medical and nursing staff, and contribute to cost-effective prescribing and sustainable use of medicines within the service.
About UsMid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides a full range of local hospital and community services for people across East Cheshire (population 399K) and West Cheshire and Chester boroughs (population 357K).
The Trust provides high quality planned and unplanned/emergency care, cardiac and critical care as well as child health, maternity services, and intermediate care across our sites at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford. The Trust provides 500 beds and employs over 5,000 members of staff.
An extensive range of community services is provided across 26 medical centres and schools by our community arm, Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership, in collaboration with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FT and the South Cheshire and Vale Royal GP Alliance. With the formation of Integrated Care Systems in July 2022 the Trust became a strategic partner in both Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester 'places' and is part of the Cheshire and Merseyside partnership caring for a population of over 2.7million.
During the Coronavirus pandemic, the Trust was recognised nationally for its 'Be Safe Be EquiPPEd' campaign, which aimed to make the Trust as safe as possible for staff and patients, through supporting the correct use of PPE.
At Mid Cheshire, our mission is to inspire hope and provide unparalleled care for the people and communities of Cheshire, helping them to enjoy life to the fullest.
Person SpecificationQualifications- Vocational Masters degree in Pharmacy and Registration with GPhC
- Post graduate diploma in clinical pharmacy or equivalent experience
- Non-medical prescribing qualification
Desirable- Advanced Clinical Skills qualification
Values - Essential- A commitment to quality and safety
- Role model behaviours
DesirableExperience - Essential- Significant post registration hospital experience or equivalent documented clinical experience, with a considerable period of this being at a band 7 level or equivalent
Desirable- Audit / research experience
- Expert knowledge of evidence-based medicine and national guidance (NICE) within the specialty
Creating the best outcomes together - Essential- Evidence of effective team work and collaboration
Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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 SponsorshipApplications 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.
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.
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. 
