Lead Pharmacist, OCIT, Virtual Wards and Direct Access Pathways

Job overview

The Lead Pharmacist – OCIT, Virtual Wards & Direct Access Pathways at UHCW NHS Trust plays a pivotal role in supporting urgent care transformation and integrated care delivery. This post leads the strategic development and operational delivery of clinical pharmacy services to areas including Emergency Department, Acute Medicine, Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC), and Virtual Ward specialities such as Frailty, Heart Failure and Respiratory

Working closely with multidisciplinary teams, system partners, and community services, the postholder will ensure safe, efficient and patient-centred medicines optimisation across transitional care pathways. The role also contributes to strategic planning, innovation, and workforce development in line with the Trust’s improvement strategy and national priorities for care out of hospital.

This role requires strong clinical leadership, advanced knowledge of medicines use in acute and long-term conditions, and the ability to work collaboratively across system boundaries to improve patient outcomes.

Successful applicants will be required to provide an immunisation and vaccination report, from either their current UK occupational health provider or their UK GP.

Secondment will be considered for internal candidates – If you are successful after interview, you must obtain approval from your current line manager to accept the offer.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder is responsible for providing clinical and strategic leadership to pharmacy services within emergency and virtual care pathways. This includes leading a team of pharmacists and technicians to deliver safe, effective and high-quality pharmaceutical care to patients in Emergency Department, Acute Wards, Direct Access Pathways and Virtual Wards.

The postholder will develop and implement medicines optimisation strategies to support safe discharge, reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, and enhance patient flow. They will also be responsible for overseeing pharmacy input into innovative clinical pathways, ensuring robust governance, compliance with medicines legislation, and alignment with local and national guidance.

Working collaboratively with acute, community and primary care partners, the role will support integrated medicines-related care and seamless transitions between care settings. The postholder will contribute to clinical guideline development, quality improvement projects, and the education and training of pharmacy staff and the wider multidisciplinary team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for pharmacy services across OCIT, Virtual Wards and Direct Access Pathways, ensuring delivery of safe, effective and patient-focused care.
• Lead the development and evaluation of clinical pharmacy services within urgent and emergency care and long-term condition pathways across UHCW NHS Trust.
• Collaborate with acute and community clinical teams to support early supported discharge, reduce hospital admissions and enable care closer to home.
• Maintain a visible clinical presence in clinical areas and act as an advanced clinical practitioner, offering highly specialised pharmaceutical advice.
• Support the implementation of digital prescribing tools and other innovations that enhance safe and effective medicines use across care boundaries.
• Develop, deliver and monitor medicines optimisation strategies and clinical guidelines in line with national policy and local Trust priorities.
• Oversee audit, evaluation and key performance monitoring within ED, Acute Medicine and virtual ward pharmacy services, reporting outcomes to Trust and system stakeholders.
• Lead and support training initiatives for pharmacy and wider clinical teams, ensuring workforce development aligns with current service needs.
• Identify and implement cost-effective prescribing practices and contribute to delivery of Cost Improvement Programmes (CIPs) and other strategic priorities.

For further details of the role please see the attached job description.