Overview
Job title: Deputy Head of Pharmacy
Salary: Up to £68,000 depending on experience
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Responsible to: Head of Pharmacy
Accountable to: Head of Pharmacy, Director of Operations, PCN Clinical Director overseeing Prescribing
Key relationships: Head of Pharmacy, Director of Operations, PCN Business Manager, Project Team, Service Managers, PCN Clinical Directors, Practice Managers
Location: Healthcare Central London (HCL)/ CLH, GP Federation for Central London area of NW London ICS
Note: This vacancy will close on 1 October, but may close earlier if sufficient applications are received.
Background: HCL/CLH supports 32 General Practices and 4 Primary Care Networks (PCNs). The organisation operates NHS contracts including Care Navigation Service, Clinical Pharmacy Service, Community Dermatology Service, and Network Direct Enhanced Services (DES).
Job Role and Purpose
The Deputy Head of Pharmacy provides operational oversight, management, and coordination of the integration of Clinical Pharmacists recruited under the Network Contract DES Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) within PCNs. You will lead pharmacy leadership, medicines management and optimisation, and the clinical and strategic development of pharmacy services. Responsibilities include implementing MMES and related medicines management elements of enhanced services, and leading a team delivering structured medication reviews, long-term condition management clinics, and safe, effective medicine administration and optimisation in practices.
You will advance PCN development plans, promote sustainable services for delivery via HCL/CLH, and work with member practices to address implementation challenges. You will establish relationships with a broad range of stakeholders across PCNs to ensure collaborative service development and delivery, improving integration with wider community services as networks mature.
You will manage projects enabling partnerships across primary care, community services, social care, mental health, voluntary sector and secondary care to support MDT development. You will lead medicines optimisation vision and programmes with the ICB Medicines Management Team and implement relevant elements into the PCN Pharmacist Team, ensuring workforce development, patient engagement, and adherence to national policy and local priorities. You will lead on quality and safety for the PCN Clinical Pharmacy Service and provide pharmacist support at vaccine sites in Westminster as required.
The role is split roughly 40% management time and 60% patient-facing work in general practice, with potential variation by service need.
Responsibilities
* Actively manage pharmacy service delivery and optimise available resources
* Provide professional pharmaceutical leadership of the pharmacy service
* Collaborate with stakeholders to market the department and raise its profile
* Ensure staff have appropriate training and equipment
* Develop and maintain Clinical Pharmacy team SOPs; align medicines optimisation guidance with HCL SOPs
* Ensure compliance with organisational, practice policies and national standards
* Lead Senior Pharmacists and support their development
* Establish safe prescribing protocols for pharmaceuticals
* Lead education meetings for Clinical Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians
* Support Head of Pharmacy with reports to evaluate and improve the service
* Identify and mitigate risks and issues; escalate concerns promptly
* Develop recruitment and induction processes for Clinical Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians
* Chair Clinical Pharmacy team meetings and liaise with BI/IT for reports
* Oversee CP team rota on a quarterly basis
Human Resource Management
* Direct management of Senior Pharmacists and supervise Clinical Pharmacists
* Initiate performance management and continually review skill mix
* Ensure adequate clinical supervision/mentorship; manage underperformance per policy
* Ensure compliance with Code of Ethics and organisational policies
* Support Head of Pharmacy in recruitment, development and motivation of staff
* Introduce new ways of working and liaise with PCNs
Clinical Governance
* Lead safe prescribing across the borough and ensure competency of PCN Pharmacists
* Ensure compliance with medicines management standards and evidence-based practice
* Engage patient views in planning and delivery; implement national initiatives
* Manage errors, complaints and incidents per guidelines
* Develop audit processes and produce activity/reports as delegated
* Support training and development of the team, including student pharmacists
Communication
* Ensure timely responses to correspondence
* Contribute to weekly bulletins and external communications as required
* Support effective internal and external stakeholder management
* Operate in a sensitive environment and provide clear briefings to the Head of Pharmacy
Financial Management
* Support budgeting, forecasting and tracking spend; justify expenditure and develop business cases
* Ensure value for money and efficiency; contribute to financial delivery of services
* Provide activity data for financial reconciliation and payroll reconciliation for the CP team
* Support MMES delivery and GP prescribing budget awareness
* Maintain financial records related to activity, equipment, income and expenditure
Research & Development
* Participate in borough-wide clinical audits and development; encourage others to engage in research
* Establish audit/feedback tools for service evaluation with service users
Policy & Service Development
* Propose changes to improve delivery; contribute to policy and service development
* Engage in Federation-wide services and projects requiring Clinical Pharmacy input (e.g., Vaccination clinics)
* Represent the Clinical Pharmacy team on HWL/CLH projects and external meetings
* Support delivery of Network DES contracts and upskill CP team to deliver SMRs and chronic disease management
The above list of duties is indicative and not exhaustive; tasks may be assigned within the scope and grading of the post.
Requirements
Key Working Relationships
The post holder will maintain constructive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including:
* Internal: Head of Pharmacy, Director of Operations, HR and Finance, Service Managers, Project Team, BI/Data Team
* External: One Westminster, Westminster County Council, PCN Clinical Directors, CNWL, CLCH, CCG/ICB, Healthshare Ltd
Education / Training / Qualifications: Master’s Degree in Pharmacy; Registered with GPC; Clinical Pharmacy qualification (Diploma or MSc); Independent Prescriber; CPD (Essential); Management qualification (Desirable)
Knowledge and Experience: Minimum 10 years post-registration pharmacy experience; experience in primary care; knowledge of NHS contracts; experience in performance management, project management, governance; SystmOne experience; experience in workforce development; ability to interpret government policy; (Essential). Desirable duplicates indicate similar experience details.
Interpersonal Skills: Strong communication, stakeholder management, professional and calm demeanor, collaborative and respectful approach.
Close: This vacancy will close on 1st October; applications early advised.
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