Specialist Pharmacist

Job overview

We are looking for an outstanding individual, to join our well-established team of clinical pharmacists, providing a comprehensive and high quality clinical pharmacy service across the Trust’s Adult Oncology and Haematology, as well as Paediatric Oncology services.

• Interview date: Wednesday, 7th May 2025
• 37 hours 30 minutes/Week
• You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Main duties of the job

The Northern Centre for Cancer Care (NCCC) is based at the Freeman Hospital site, and provides systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT), bone marrow transplant (BMT) and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) services to adult oncology and haematology patients, as well as radiotherapy for both adults and paediatrics. The centre houses three inpatient wards dedicated to treating cancer patients, as well as a busy SACT day unit, associated supportive therapies facilities, an ambulatory care unit and both early and late phase clinical trials units.

The Paediatric Oncology unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary treats children and young people under the age of 19 who have cancer, leukaemia and other related diseases. The unit is a designated Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) centre and covers the whole of the Northern region, from Teesside to Newcastle, and Northumberland across to Cumbria.

An exciting regional development in recent years means that solid tumour patients treated in North Cumbria are now under the care of Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. A brand new purpose-built facility has recently opened on the Carlisle site, which offers dedicated day unit accommodation, consultation facilities, and radiotherapy services.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Trust strives to be at the forefront of anti-cancer treatments, and this has recently been demonstrated by our selection as one of only three centres in England to offer CAR-T therapy to both adult and paediatric patients.

These posts will support, and further augment, our clinical pharmacy service to both Paediatric Oncology and Adult Cancer Services, on a rotational basis. This includes involvement in clinical trials (first in human, through to late phase) and the chemotherapy electronic prescribing system (ChemoCare) for which the Trust is the hub site for the region. Attendance at consultant-led ward rounds and multidisciplinary team meetings would also be required.

We require motivated and enthusiastic pharmacists, who are registered with the GPhC, with significant post-qualification experience, to become members of our team. Experience in cancer services and/or paediatrics is desirable, but not essential, as full training will be given. Candidates who possess an independent prescribing (IP) qualification will be encouraged to use this within an agreed cancer sub-specialty, once training objectives are complete.  Our team currently supports IP activity in many cancers, including lung, melanoma, upper GI, prostate, colorectal, gynaecological, and myeloproliferative disorders.

Successful candidates will be expected to participate in extended hours services for one year post appointment and then subsequently in the cancer services weekend and Bank Holiday rota, which provides specialist clinical pharmacist support on the NCCC site, 7 days a week, 364 days a year.

• To develop and maintain clinical pharmacy services in a specialist area or directorate within the overall Trust clinical pharmacy strategy.
• To participate in the provision of other pharmacy patient services functions.
• To promote the safe, rational and cost effective use of medicines by working closely with nursing and medical staff and health care managers.
• To perform the professional role of a Registered Pharmacist, including advice, supervision and co-operation with colleagues, particularly in relation to support/cover for absent colleagues.
• To support patients to achieve their health goals in relation to medicines by providing person centred care.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.