Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health Pharmacy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8b
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 346-PH-005-24
- Employer
- Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- West Park Hospital
- Town
- Darlington
- Salary
- £62,215 - £72,293 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 23/03/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 02/04/2025
Employer heading

Lead Pharmacist (Durham and Darlington)
NHS AfC: Band 8b
We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.
From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care —our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.
We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.
We’re committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.
We won’t rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.
Job overview
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced pharmacist to join us in our pharmacy team. The role will lead and manage the Durham and Darlington locality to deliver medicines optimisation and governance to our inpatients based at our hospital sites in Durham, Bishop Auckland and Darlington. Whilst you will be joining an established team, you will have the opportunity to work with pharmacy colleagues and clinicians in the locality to further develop the role and team.Ìý
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will have experience of working at a high level in a range of clinical settings, ideally including mental health services.Ìý A good track record in a pharmacy leadership and management role is essential. Whilst the successful candidate can be based at either West Park Hospital in Darlington or Lanchester Road Hospital in Durham, there is a requirement to work across all sites in the locality.
Working for our organisation
You will join our friendly and welcoming team of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and assistants based at our main Trust sites of Roseberry Park Hospital in Middlesbrough, West Park Hospital in Darlington, Lanchester Road Hospital in Durham and Foss Park Hospital in York. As a lead pharmacist, you will be part of the Trustwide Pharmacy Leadership Team and be involved in developing and steering the pharmacy team's strategy, ethos and culture.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To lead and manage the development, delivery and governance of Medicines optimisation services to inpatients in the Durham and Darlington locality
- To line manage and professionally support Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians, and consider the development of skill mix within the Durham and Darlington locality
- To lead on designated areas of pharmacy responsibility across the whole trust
- To work with all professional staff, patients and carers in the provision of a inpatient medicines optimisation service, ensuring high quality patient focused pharmaceutical care - including visits to clinical areas as needed
- To deputise for the Deputy Chief Pharmacist and Chief Pharmacist and be involved in pharmacy service developments as needs or opportunities arise
- To be engaged in delivering the Trust’s medicines optimisation strategy / framework, in particular the governance of medicines within inpatient areas in Durham and Darlington.
- To be engaged in an aspect of the clinical pharmacy services
- To promote at all times a positive image of people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities
-
To promote at all times a positive image of the Pharmacy profession and the wider Trust
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying.
Informal enquires to Ros Prior, Deputy Chief Pharmacist - available Mon-Thurs 9am-5.00pmÌý
Ìý07717727668 / [email protected]
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of mental health pharmacy or clinical experience in a variety of settings
- Multi-disciplinary team working
- Supervised or managed others
Desirable criteria
- Clinical Audit
- Change management
- Project management experience
- R&D
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Masters degree in pharmacy or equivalent
- Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- Postgraduate qualification in clinical and /or psychiatric pharmacy
- Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
Desirable criteria
- Postgraduate pharmacist independent/supplementary prescribing practice certificate
- Recognised leadership qualification
- Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
- RPS Faculty Member
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
- Confident and articulate communicator both written and verbal
- Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
- IT skills
- Drug Information skills
- Understanding of health service issues in primary and secondary care
- Understanding of the risk issues associated with medicines
Desirable criteria
- Critical appraisal skills
- To use the Internet to provide useful information and search bibliographic databases
- Ability to work with data on Excel spreadsheets
- Trust QIS knowledge
- Coaching Skills
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Ros Prior
- Job title
- Deputy Chief Pharmacist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07717727668
- Additional information
Richard Morris, Deputy Chief Pharmacist - Available Tues-Fri, and every other Monday, 8.30am-5.00pmÌý 07766 360053 - [email protected]
Chris Williams, Chief Pharmacist [email protected]
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