Advanced Specialist Pharmacist Virtual Ward

Are you an experienced pharmacist wanting to develop and enhance clinical skills in a brand new service? This is an exciting new role for a clinical pharmacist with hospital or primary care experience where you can be part of setting up a service, leading on medicines governance and developing novel and practical pathways for patients being cared for in the Staffordshire wide virtual ward. This is an opportunity to work flexible hours with varied career opportunities depending on the preference of the candidate including potential for development to become an advanced clinical practitioner. The Virtual Ward is part of a national initiative to provide care for patients in their own home. These can be patients who would have been admitted to hospital or complex patients who can leave the hospital based ward and be cared for by the Virtual ward team. This can include face-to-face care from multi-disciplinary teams based in the community, remote assessment and monitoring. They are led by daily UHNM consultant ward round reviews. This is a new opportunity and as the first post holder for this role you will be responsible for the development and provision of clinical pharmacy to the Virtual Ward Services including clinical review of patients, governance and operational functions. You will have an opportunity to be full / part time or work flexibly to provide this service.

• To be a key member of the multidisciplinary team developing and delivering the clinical service to patients in the virtual ward. This will include all aspects of ward based clinical pharmacy service: medicines reconciliation on admission and discharge, advising on optimising and monitoring patients’ medicines. Depending on patient need this may be undertaken by contacting patients remotely or attending a patient at home.
• To lead on developing effective and efficient supply of medicines to patients in their own home under the care of the Virtual Ward service.
• To ensure that the Pharmacy service to the Virtual Ward continues to evolve and meet the changing requirements of medicines supply, clinical governance and medicines optimisation.
• Provide expert pharmaceutical support and advice to the CRIS and Virtual ward services to ensure that patients receive the medicines that are prescribed/recommended by the Virtual Ward team as efficiently and timely as possible, in line with legislation.
• Act as an independent prescriber for patients in the Virtual Ward Service
• Attend relevant ward rounds formulating the patients pharmaceutical care plan, making proactive interventions in individual patient’s therapy by providing evidence-based information on medicines related issues, prescribing, and acting as the main Pharmacy contact.

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is one of the largest and most modern in the country. We serve around three million people and we’re highly regarded for our facilities, teaching and research. The Trust has around 1,450 inpatient beds across two sites in Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford. Our 11,000 strong workforce provide emergency treatment, planned operations and medical care from Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital in Stafford. We are the specialist centre for major trauma for the North Midlands and North Wales. We have put together a wide range of development packages aimed at ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Our goal is to be a world-class centre of achievement, where patients receive the highest standards of care and the best people come to learn, work and research. Investing in the health and wellbeing of our staff is really important to us. We offer a range of options for our staff to help maintain a good work-life balance including full time, part time hours and bank hours. We are also committed to offering flexible working wherever we can and where relevant to the role and the service, agile working. You can select your preferences upon application. Essential Qualifications Master’s degree in Pharmacy (MPharm) or equivalent Registered with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Post registration Clinical Pharmacy Diploma / MSc or equivalent Qualification Independent Prescriber with appropriate annotation on GPhC register or willing to undertake where there is an identified clinical need Commitment and evidence of professional updating and mandatory continuing professional development portfolio