Advanced Clinical Pharmacist Virtual WardsinCambridgeinCambridgePUBLISHED WED 23 OCT 2024

The Virtual Ward environment is the opportunity for patients to experience hospital level care from a multidisciplinary team, in the comfort of their own home. This is a new clinical pharmacy service and offers you the opportunity to work closely with the team to develop new pathways of care, methods of treatment delivery and experience of medicines governance.

The CUH Virtual Wards team are inclusive and the pharmacy post is well integrated into the operations. This post offers you the opportunities to become a valued member of the team who offers the service oversight of medicines safety and clinical expertise.

We are searching for someone with the vision for how the Virtual Ward could develop and offer patients a new and improved experience of care.

• Liaise with the relevant senior pharmacy, medical and nursing staff, other allied health professionals (AHPs) and managers to promote safe, evidence based, safe and cost-effective use of medication in Virtual wards.
• Liaise with external health professionals & stakeholders across the Integrated Care System ICS in the management of virtual ward patients e.g. GPs, community / primary care network pharmacists, district nurses.
• Provide an advanced clinical pharmacy service to Virtual wards / clinics as part of the MDT.
• Provide specialist pharmacist advice and services to the Virtual wards, the specialist MDT and patients under their care.
• Prescribe medication for individual patients within the agreed scope of practice and according to the CUH pharmacist prescribing policy;
• Participate in and lead where required on novel pharmacy projects in the care of Virtual wards patients including pharmacist participation in outpatient clinics and optimizing the management of Virtual wards patients.
• Identify and undertake research to inform practice developments and underpin delivery of an effective, evidence-based pharmacy service.
• Provide pharmacy leadership to the Virtual wards.
• To support the Trust with medication / pharmacy related aspects of patient flow.

About us

• Provide pharmacy leadership to the virtual wards.
• To ensure adequate rostering and service level plans for pharmacy virtual wards are in place, including plans for Pharmacy support over weekends, bank holidays & out of hours.
• To be an active member of the pharmacy team supporting patient flow.
• To develop and deliver MDT training relating to medication use in virtual wards.
• To develop, analyse and report Pharmacy/medicines KPIs relating to virtual wards as part of a program of audit/service evaluation.
• Develop and participate in virtual ward MDTs/ clinics (face to face or virtual clinics) with specialist nurses and medical colleagues and allied healthcare professionals.
• Act as a pharmacist independent prescriber in virtual wards potentially covering a range of conditions within their agreed scope of practice & competence.
• To optimize, verify and request appropriate supplies of medicines for virtual ward patients prior to their admission, during their stay and at their eventual discharge. This will include prescriptions for delivery.
• To counsel virtual ward patients on medicines
• To assist with the on-boarding of patients into the virtual ward & subsequent discharge from the virtual ward, including appropriate communication of medicines related information to patients and those involved in their care.
• To work collaboratively with pharmacy operational teams to ensure that supply models are optimized, and patients receive timely treatment whilst in the virtual ward.
• To work collaboratively with eHospital teams and provide expertise on EPMA requirements to ensure safe and effective medicines management within the virtual ward setting.
• Develop new models of care with pharmacist led clinics/ virtual wards.
• Actively contribute as a pharmacy expert on medication related matters for new patient pathways
• To attend and represent pharmacy at the clinical governance meeting for virtual wards and the directorate, ensuring that medicines are used safely in line with best practice recommendations and that any concerns are addressed in collaboration with the MDT.
• To respond to individual patient safety learning events to minimise the risk of harm if a similar type of event would happen again.
• To work closely with consultants, senior pharmacists, nurses etc. across specialty in the development and implementation of evidence-based Trust policies, and the maintenance of established protocols and policies.
• Carry out domiciliary visits (if required) and work flexibly as part of the virtual ward MDT.
• To work collaboratively across the region & Integrated Care System (ICS) with colleagues on medication related matters relating to virtual wards.

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employment.

This vacancy will close at midnight on 5th November 2024

Interviews are due to be held week commencing 11th November 2024

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.