Job summary
The West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is pleased to offer three exciting opportunities for rotational clinical pharmacists to join our pharmacy team: one permanent post and two 12-month fixed-term posts.Candidates are welcome to express a preference for either the permanent or fixed-term opportunities as part of their application. Please indicate your preferred contract type in your supporting statement.

Have you recently registered as a Pharmacist?
Are you an experienced Pharmacist keen to deliver high-quality pharmaceutical care within a hospital setting using electronic prescribing and patient record systems?
Are you looking to work in a supportive and educational environment?

The vacancies are open to candidates seeking either a Band 6 or Band 7 rotational clinical pharmacist role, with the starting band determined by individual experience, skills and demonstrated competencies. Newly qualified or recently registered pharmacists will typically commence at Band 6, with the opportunity to progress to Band 7 through a planned development and advancement pathway.

Pharmacists with relevant hospital experience and the appropriate skills and competencies may be appointed directly at Band 7. Whether you are starting your hospital pharmacy career or looking to build on your existing clinical experience, these opportunities offer the chance to develop within a supportive team committed to delivering high-quality patient care.

Main duties of the job
This role offers a broad range of rotational clinical pharmacy experience across multiple specialties within the Trust, alongside opportunities to develop key non-clinical skills.

A flavour of your day to day
You will work in a direct, patient-facing role ensuring the safe and appropriate use of medicines across the Trust.

Through the structured rotation plan you will be exposed to, and work within, a number of clinical areas, including:

• Medical wards
• Surgical wards
• Admissions wards
• Medicines Information
• Aseptic Production
• Palliative care
• Antimicrobial stewardship
• Inpatient and outpatient dispensary

The department works on an extended hours, seven day pharmacy service on a rostered basis, as well as providing an on-call service out of hours, which you will be involved in.

We have a fully integrated electronic prescribing and medication record system known as e-Care (Cerner Millennium), which is supporting the pharmacy department to improve and monitor the care that we deliver.

Generally Monday - Friday 08:30-17:00, but will include late, on-call and weekend shifts on a rostered basis

About us
#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

Details
Date posted: 20 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £56,515 a year Per annum, pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number: 179-8332089-C

Job responsibilities
Please view full job description attached for full details of role.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?

Person Specification
Education & Qualification
Essential

• M.Pharm/B Pharm/BSc Pharmacy.
• Registered with the GPhC.
• Post Graduate qualification in clinical Pharmacy or nearing completion, or demonstration of equivalent experience - Band 7 only

Desirable

• Membership of RPSGB.
• Independent Prescribing Qualification - Band 7 only

Experience & Knowledge
Essential

• Post-registration experience with substantial hospital experience - Band 7 only
• Experience in providing a pharmacy clinical service to patients in a range of specialities - Band 7 only
• Experience of delivering a high-quality clinical pharmacy service to a range of clinical specialities - Band 7 only
• Experience of multidisciplinary team working - Band 7 only
• Experience in providing pharmacy education & training, including mentorship - Band 7 only
• Experience of medicines management services to individual patients at the bedside - Band 7 only
• Evidence of on-going revalidation with the GPhC. - Band 7 only
• Specialised knowledge of the treatment of patients in a range of specialities - Band 7 only
• Knowledge of how the delivery of the clinical pharmacy service must meet the needs of local and national priorities - Band 7 only
• Knowledge to teach higher-level clinical pharmacy practice. - Band 7 only
• Knowledge of pharmacy-based computer systems.
• Previous hospital/community pharmacy experience
• Knowledge of hospital pharmacy

Desirable

• Experience in the provision of pharmacy expertise to the clinical governance agenda
• Experience of managing or supervising other staff
• Experience of implementing and/or reviewing policies, guidelines, PGDs or equivalent
• Experience of objective setting for other members of staff
• Experience of change management
• Clinical ward experience
• Experience of patient counselling
• Experience of out of hours pharmacy service
• Experience of therapeutic drug monitoring

Skills & Abilities
Essential

• Able to communicate effectively with a wide range of healthcare professionals and patients - Band 7 only
• Able to provide specialised advice on the use of medicines to treat patients within a specialist area - Band 7 only
• Able to manage time effectively and meet tight deadlines - Band 7 only
• Able to prioritise and manage workload. - Band 7 only
• Able to demonstrate a specialised level of reasoning and judgment. - Band 7 only
• Able to undertake prescription review of complex medication regimes. - Band 7 only
• Able to apply evidence-based medicine to prescribed regimes and to balance the risks and benefits of prescribed treatments for the individual patient - Band 7 only
• Attention to detail and good problem-solving skills. - Band 7 only
• Proficient computer skills - Band 7 only
• Expected to deal with members of the public and other health care workers in a professional manner
• Close liaison with co-workers in the department and throughout the trust is vital
• Expected to have a broad knowledge of pharmaceutical issues
• Evidence of self-motivated professional development
• Expected to participate in the out of hours rotas
• Able to have a flexible approach to working hours/duties
• Attention to detail

Desirable

• Able to manage difficult or ambiguous situations
• Able to train and supervise staff
• Able to undertake analysis of incidents/complaints
• Ability to travel to all rural locations

Personal Qualities
Essential

• Demonstrates a professional attitude and understands professionalism.
• Good communication skills (both written and verbal).
• Ability to work calmly and in an organised fashion in a busy environment.
• Demonstrates ability to plan and prioritise own workload to meet deadlines.
• Approachable and supportive to peers and other staff.
• Good team member.
• Ability to work well on own initiative.
• Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues and patients.
• Ability to work to deadlines and achieve agreed objectives.
• Positive attitude towards personal/self-development

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: West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Address: West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, Hardwick Lane, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 2QZ, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.wsh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Principal Pharmacist – Clinical Services, Alexis Marcos, alexis.marcos@wsh.nhs.uk, 01284712929

Apply through our website.