Chief Pharmacist and Clinical Director for Pharmacy

The Chief Pharmacist is the Trust Pharmacy Lead for Medicines Management, ensuring the Trust-wide delivery of safe, effective and efficient Medicines Optimisation. The post holder will be responsible for transforming the way the pharmacy department works across the trust and must be strategic in developing innovative services whilst upholding statutory requirements related to the safe and effective running of our pharmacy services.

Plans for provision of Pharmacy services must be implemented and monitored for effectiveness across the Trust, ensuring there are appropriate systems and accountability structures in place to provide board level assurance on all safety and statutory requirements.

To be responsible for the planning and overall delivery of Pharmacy services and Medicines Management across the Trust, and as the Accountable Officer for Controlled Drugs.

To lead a team of approximately 105 Pharmacy staff and budget holder for Pharmacy pay (£5.3M) and Medicines spend (£59.3M).

As Board member for Networked care working with Care group director colleagues in ensuring the business of the Care Group is delivered.

To provide leadership and direction on all aspects of Medicines Optimisation and Medicines Management across the Trust, ensuring statutory responsibilities are met and assurances given to the Trust Board.

Main duties of the job

Provide professional leadership and management for the pharmacy services to the Trust, fulfilling the statutory and ethical requirements of the role of 'superintendent pharmacist' as defined by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and as Accountable Officer for Controlled drugs.

Provide specialist expertise and delegated from the Chief Executive, have corporate responsibility across the Trust for all aspects of medicines management ensuring associated NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) standards, CQC and other Department of Health (DH) standards are met.

To provide leadership to all senior staff within the Trust pertaining to Medicines Management. This will be achieved through effective clinical governance arrangements in the Pharmacy that links with both the Trust Clinical Governance structures and Care Group Clinical Governance.

To work closely with the Care Group Director for Networked Care to provide accountability for Pharmacy contractual, financial performance and operational and clinical performance.

To represent the Care Group Director of Networked Care at relevant forums including EMC or other internal/external meetings depending upon the subject area.

Responsible for ensuring that all aspects of medicines therapy in the Trust are safe, effective and economic.

Provide key professional support to ensure the safe and economic use of medicines across the Trust and whole health economy.

1. Reading sits on the river Thames and is served by great road and rail links to London, Oxford and Southampton. With excellent leisure and shopping facilities, and a thriving cultural scene, Reading is a wonderful place to live, work and play and provides excellent facilities for families, including some of the best state and private schools in the UK.

The CQC recently rated the care provided by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust as Good.

Our values: Compassionate, Aspirational, Resourceful, Excellent, reflect the type of Trust we aspire to be and you can join our dedicated and talented staff to make this happen.