Job summary
Are you looking for a challenge in a new clinical area based in County Durham?
Our pharmacists make a real difference to the mental health of the people who most need support across our communities. The roles are patient facing with time to develop advanced clinical skills whilst caring for those in need as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
This post is based at West Park Hospital in Darlington, delivering services to wards across the Durham and Darlington locality. The successful candidate will be delivering the in-patient service with the support of pharmacy technicians. They will be supported by a very experienced team of senior pharmacists.
Our pharmacists can work flexibly within the needs of the service. Use of flexi-time is standard for all staff, we can offer flexible working arrangements to support your well-being and a healthy work-life balance. Weekend working is limited to half days on only 1 or 2 weekends per year. There are no late nights, and the on-call rota is currently covered with pharmacists opting in.
There are many benefits to working for TEWV including free access to well-being support, free car parking, lease car schemes and excellent annual leave entitlements.
You must have the Right to Work in the UK in order to be successfully appointed to this role. Please note, this role does not meet the required eligibility criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa and therefore the Trust is unable to offer sponsorship for this particular role.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for experienced pharmacists wishing to specialise in mental health having already developed through their newly qualified pharmacist pathway. You should have enthusiasm, confidence and drive to make a real difference to the lives of patients with mental illness. Previous mental health experience is desirable, but training will be provided; however, you should be able to demonstrate a sound understanding of other areas of pharmacy and of mental health conditions and the medication used for them.
You should have experience of patient counselling, prescription screening/checking and have underpinning clinical pharmacy skills and knowledge. Excellent communication skills are essential.
Applicants should have experience of providing clinical pharmacy and medicines optimisation services in a hospital setting. You should have experience of patient counselling, prescription screening/checking and have underpinning clinical pharmacy skills and knowledge, ideally demonstrated through current study of, or attainment of a clinical diploma.
About us
Our teams are friendly, supportive, and committed to providing the best possible services. We developed a 5-year Medicines Optimisation and Pharmacy Framework, which was co-created with the team enabling a shared set of themes and priorities. The trust has also co-created a direction of travel known as Our Journey to Change.
The Pharmacy team in TEWV has over 100 people including drivers, pharmacy assistants, admin, nurses, pharmacy technicians and pharmacists. Individual team members are spread across multiple sites, with a dispensary in each of our 3 localities. The locality teams work independently, but come together to agree standards and best practice, learning from each other to improve.
We are committed to developing our staff and can provide the opportunity to undertake post graduate qualifications including independent non-medical prescribing and the Aston University Post Graduate Certificate in Psychiatric Therapeutics. The Trust is committed to Quality Improvement Systems and there will be opportunities to development your skills using these tools.
If you are interested in this role then we would encourage you to contact us for more information either before or after applying.
Details
Date posted
09 June 2026
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 7
Salary
£49,387 to £56,515 a year pro rata, per annum
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time
Reference number
346-PH-017-26-A
Job locations
West Park Hospital
Edward Pease Way
Darlington
DL2 2TS
United Kingdom
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying. The job summary is below:
To work as a Specialist Clinical Pharmacist within the Clinical Pharmacy Team, and liaise with professional staff and patients and carers; to deliver high quality pharmaceutical care for patients with complex, specialist mental health needs.
To deliver the clinical pharmacy service and promote medicines optimisation within own specialist area and support the responsible 8a Senior Clinical Pharmacist for the speciality/locality.
To support and be involved in clinical pharmacy service developments as needs or opportunities arise.
To participate in audit and clinical trials within own clinical specialism.
To promote at all times a positive image of people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities.
To promote at all times a positive image of the Pharmacy department and profession and the wider Trust.
The successful applicant should be capable of independent travel, to be able to support clinical services at all sites within the locality.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. Masters degree in Pharmacy or equivalent
2. Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
3. Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
4. Postgraduate qualification in clinical pharmacy or currently studying.
5. Postgraduate qualification in psychiatric pharmacy; or currently studying for or willing to work towards.
Experience
Essential
6. Recent significant and relevant experience in community or hospital pharmacy, delivering medicines management activities to patients
Desirable
7. Experience of mental health pharmacy
Skills
Essential
8. IT skills
9. Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
10. Confident and articulate communicator both written and verbal
Desirable
11. Critical appraisal skills
12. To use the internet to provide useful information and search bibliographic databases
13. Understanding of health service issues in primary and secondary care
14. Medicines Information skills
Personal attributes
Essential
15. Able to work in accordance with the Staff Compact and Trust Values and Behaviours.
16. Professional in approach and manner
17. Motivation to develop clinical pharmacy skills and specialist mental health knowledge
18. Good interpersonal and social skills
19. Committed to continual quality and service improvement.
20. Self-aware and committed to continual professional and personal development. Able to accept and respond positively to feedback from supervision.
21. Committed to promoting a positive image of people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities
22. Committed to promoting a positive image of Pharmacy department and the wider Trust
Desirable
23. Assertive and innovative
24. Ability to plan and organise workload