Reportingto the Chief Operating Officer, and working closely with Meresides five Partners,you will lead and manage all medications related services and operations acrossour three-practice group. You will be a pivotal member of the Group Operationsteam, also contributing to the wider strategic direction and culture of theorganisation.
Thisis a new role, bringing our dispensaries, drugs procurement, medicinestechnicians, and clinical pharmacy teams together as one. The primary purposeof the role is to deliver a more cohesive service to patients as efficiently andeffectively as possible across the different teams, while driving financialperformance and operational excellence across the function as a whole. You willtransform our cross-team culture to eliminate silos and create a seamlesspatient experience, while diplomatically managing stakeholder relationshipsthat balance clinical appropriateness with commercial sustainability.
Main duties of the job
* Leadership, Team Management & Culture
* Financial Performance & Commercial Oversight
* Technology & Innovation
* Stakeholder Management & Strategic Liaison
About us
Mereside Medical is a flourishing group of three EastCambridgeshire practices in Ely, Haddenham and Soham, together serving over 40,000patients. As a group, weve grown rapidly and now employ morethan 140 people across the three practices. We are people-centred in ourapproach to work and believe that every contact that a patient has with ourstaff is as valuable as the next in the patient journey. We believe in clinicalexcellence, and that general practice is the cornerstone of well-being in ourcommunity. We are innovative and forward-looking, and we embrace technology toenable more effective, efficient, and connected ways of working to deliver everbetter outcomes for our patients.
Our goal is to deliver on the ambitions laid out inthe GP forward view in a way that is locally relevant, valued by patients, andsatisfying for our staff. In addition to our core general practice work we runa large Commercial Clinical Research Trials Unit and we work closely with theICB to develop innovative ways to improve local service provision. We are thelead practice for one of the two local PCNs and are represented in both.
Job responsibilities
Thisis a unique opportunitywithin General Practice. As a Group we have moved away from the traditionalPractice Management model and developed a diversified Operations Team with thefollowing specialist functions to work alongside you to deliver your objectives:
* PracticeOperations
* ClinicalOperations
* QualityImprovement
* Finance
* People & Culture
* Digital and Estates
We believe this approach is unusual in primary care, butis essential to enable us to respond to demand from our commissioning bodyand/or our patients to provide new or improved services, and to provide abetter, more supportive, enjoyable, and professionalised working environmentfor our staff.
Your Responsibilities
Leadership, Team Management &Culture
* Workcollaboratively with the wider Operations Team to pro-actively contribute tothe design and implementation of the overall long term strategic direction,culture, and values of the organisation.
* Takeoverall leadership and management responsibility for the Medications Servicesfunction, comprising:
oHaddenhamSurgery and Staploe Medical Centre Dispensary teams, both of which haveexperienced on-site teams with clear on-site leadership structures.
oMedicinesTechnicians team, located at our Wilburton site.
oClinicalPharmacist, leading the Ely South Primary Care Network Additional RolesReimbursement Scheme Clinical Pharmacy team, consisting of Clinical Pharmacistsand Pharmacy Technicians
* Fostera collaborative 'one team' culture where all medicines-related staffproactively support each other to resolve patient needs at the first point ofcontact, embedding a "solve for the patient first, improve processsecond" philosophy throughout the function
* Designand implement integrated workflows that enable seamless handoffs between allmedications services teams, and other service teams (patient services, clinicaladmin, and medical secretaries), eliminating patient frustration from beingtransferred between departments.
* Ensureall medicines services teams maintain full compliance with MHRA, GPhC, and NHSregulations, including controlled drugs governance, stock control, andprescription services optimization
* Recruit,develop, and performance manage all medicines services teams and support seniorstaff to mentor colleagues
* Workwith the People & Culture team to create clear and appropriate developmentpathways and succession planning
Financial Performance & Commercial Oversight
* Workwith the Group Finance Manager to present financial performance, forecasts, andaction plans to senior leadership.
* Assurefinancial sustainability of both dispensaries by supporting the Dispensary ProcurementCoordinator to optimise strategic pricing, supplier negotiations, orderingpractices, and formulary adherence by prescribers.
* Overseegroup-wide dispensing strategy, formulary management, and stakeholdernegotiations, under the guidance of the GP Partner Lead
* Dataanalysis using Excel, ePACT2, and clinical system reports to monitor financialperformance and prescribing trends
Technology &Innovation
* Workwith the Group Lead for Digital, IT, and Estates to:
oChampiontechnology adoption to improve efficiency and patient experience across allsites
oIdentifyand implement digital solutions for automated reporting, monitoring, andworkflow management
oEvaluateand implement new technologies to enhance operational efficiency
* Ensurethat the teams are optimising their utilisation of SystmOne for medicinesmanagement, identifying training needs and ensuring teams are upskilled wherenecessary
* Createstandardised digital workflows across multiple sites, including effective andconsistent use of available platforms.
Stakeholder Management& Strategic Liaison
Buildand maintain diplomatic relationships with external stakeholders, for example:
* MOTliaison and formulary management: Act as Mereside Medical primary point ofcontact for Cambs & Peterborough ICB Medicines Optimization Team, workingdiplomatically to ensure clinical objectives are achieved cost effectively.
* CommunityPharmacy coordination: Maintain relationships with local pharmacies for patientreferrals and EPS optimisation
* PharmaceuticalSuppliers: Build strategic relationships with suppliers, supporting theProcurement Officer to achieve effective negotiations and cost-savinginitiatives
Person Specification
Experience
* About You
* You should have or be:
* - Exceptional people manager and mentor with proven track record of transforming team cultures and managing multi site operations
* - Financially astute with deep understanding of how prescribing patterns impact practice finances and profitability
* - Advanced Excel expertise and experience analysing large datasets, creating financial models, and interpreting complex reports
* - Technology enthusiast with proven ability to drive digital adoption and process automation
* - Outstanding customer service focus with commitment to seamless patient experience and continuous improvement
* - Adaptable and resilient leader comfortable working across multiple sites and managing competing priorities
* - Analytical and critical thinker able to make evidence based decisions under pressure
* - Diplomatic communicator skilled at managing relationships with diverse stakeholders including clinical teams, regulatory bodies, and commercial partners
* - Cultural change leader with experience transforming silo mentalities into collaborative team working
* - Willing to travel regularly between practice sites and attend external meetings as required
* It would be an advantage if you also have or are:
* - Experience in Primary Care dispensing or GP practice operations management
* - Regional/area management experience from healthcare, pharmacy, or retail sectors
* - Understanding of NHS primary care systems including SystmOne, ePACT2, and EPS
* - Qualified Pharmacy Technician or Dispenser with relevant professional qualifications
* - Project management experience and proven ability to implement large-scale operational changes
* - Knowledge of controlled drugs regulations and medicines governance requirements
* - Experience with formulary management and medicines optimization programs
* - Commercial negotiation experience with suppliers and stakeholders
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
#J-18808-Ljbffr