Chief Pharmacist

Job summary

Main duties of the job

As the Trust's Chief Pharmacist, you will be responsible for ensuring full compliance with all statutory and legal requirements relating to medicines, controlled drugs and medical gases, providing strategic leadership on medicines governance for the organisation. Working closely with the Director of Paramedicine & AHPs and the Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer, you will develop and maintain robust governance frameworks, audit systems and policies that ensure the highest standards of patient safety.

As a vital part of the Trust's senior clinical team, you will lead the medicines management team in how the Trust procures, stores, prescribes, administers and dispenses medicines. You will oversee the development of Patient Group Directions and clinical protocols, provide expert guidance on antimicrobial stewardship, and drive continuous improvements in medicines optimisation across all operational areas.

Working strategically with local, regional and national stakeholders including commissioners, the National Ambulance Pharmacists Network, and partner NHS organisations, you will represent the Trust at senior forums.

Job responsibilities

We employ 3,500 staff in 63 locations and serve a population of 2,600,000 in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham, and Tees over 3230 square miles.

Many people think the job of the ambulance service is to collect patients and take them to hospital, but we do much more!

Paramedic skills have developed hugely in recent years, meaning we carry out more treatment at the scene and en-route to hospital.

We have a dedicated clinical assessment service that allows us to provide patients with the most appropriate care from the beginning of the patient journey.

We have a specialised branch of the Trust called HART which deal with explosions or terrorist attacks.

Ultimately patients are the heart of everything that we do to support our mission of "safe, effective and responsive care for all".

We value and respect the diversity employees bring to our workplace. We recruit a workforce that reflects the community we serve, and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds. To ensure we deliver on our aims in relation to diversity and inclusion we assess ourselves against a range of frameworks. We are ENEI Gold employer, Disability Confident Leader, Dementia Friendly, and part of Mind Blue Light programme and the Race at Work Charter from the Princes Responsible Business Network and are achieving across all objectives in NHS Equality Delivery System.

From 01/04/25 If your role needs a DBS you'll be subject to salary deduction totaling £49.50, spread over first and second pay.