Job overview
This role provides specialist clinical pharmacy support within the Primary Healthcare team at West London Forensic Services, focusing on the optimisation of physical health medications for patients with mental health conditions. As an Advanced Specialist Pharmacist, the post-holder will work alongside a multidisciplinary team to ensure safe, effective, and evidence-based use of medicines for physical health management, particularly in populations with complex forensic mental health needs.
This maternity cover post is an ideal opportunity for an experienced pharmacist with a strong background in physical healthcare and a passion for improving the physical health outcomes of mental health service users.
The successful candidate will need to be confident working autonomously within a forensic mental health setting, with strong communication and collaborative working skills.
Experience with managing metabolic health, cardiovascular risk, and weight management interventions is essential, as is the ability to contribute to ongoing clinical and service development work.
Main duties of the job
A key area of focus in this role is the review and management of medications related to metabolic health, including the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight management in patients with antipsychotic-induced weight gain and metabolic syndrome. The successful candidate will take a lead on this initiative, ensuring appropriate prescribing, monitoring, and outcomes evaluation in line with national guidance and local policy.
Other responsibilities include conducting physical health medicines reviews, supporting clinical staff with prescribing queries, contributing to patient care planning, and identifying opportunities to improve prescribing practices through audits and service development projects. Close collaboration with physical and mental health teams is essential to enhance patient outcomes in secure settings.
The role also involves line management of senior (band 8a) pharmacists, supporting their development and ensuring consistent clinical standards.
Working for our organisation
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.
Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.
The Trust is rated as ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as ‘Outstanding’.
The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Masters degree in pharmacy or equivalent
2. Membership of the General Pharmaceutical Council
3. Post-graduate qualification in clinical/mental health pharmacy or equivalent experience
4. Evidence of continuing professional and personal development
Desirable criteria
5. Member of the CMHP
6. Membership of RPSGB
Experience
Essential criteria
7. One year pre-registration training and experience
8. Demonstrable advanced experience of working as a clinical pharmacist practitioner in a hospital setting
9. Experience as an advanced level clinical pharmacist practitioner in Mental Health
10. Experience of delivering training and education
11. Experience of developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating protocols and guidelines
12. Experience of providing medicines education to users and carers
Desirable criteria
13. Previous experience in undertaking research
14. Experience of staff management
15. Experience of managing change
Experience Knowledge & Skills
Essential criteria
16. Up-to-date and in-depth knowledge of new drugs in pipeline or on the market
17. Knowledge of medication safety practice recommendations and guidance
18. Knowledge of relevant pharmaceutical standards of practice
19. Specialist knowledge of mental health pharmacy
20. Knowledge of recent initiatives in pharmacy
21. Knowledge of the clinical governance agenda in relation to medicines use
22. Knowledge of our business and how it supports patient care
23. Ability to educate, train, supervise and evaluate pharmacy staff and other health care professionals
24. Ability to demonstrate safe, clinically effective and cost efficient use of drugs for patients with mental health problems
25. Ability to proactively develop clinical pharmacy services in line with local and national objectives
26. Ability to evaluate performance against identified criteria using Trust PDR tools
27. Ability to provide evaluated pharmaceutical and financial information
28. Ability to demonstrate a critical approach to the development and evaluation of clinical pharmacy services
29. Ability to establish recording systems and to provide necessary reports
Desirable criteria
30. Critical appraisal skills
31. Ability to demonstrable innovation and work across professional boundaries
32. Report writing skills
33. Ability to promote a culture of innovation and learning
34. Knowledge of measurement for improvement