Senior Interface Pharmacist LIMOS

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Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, (LGT), is a community-focused provider of local and acute care, delivering high-quality services to over one million people living across the London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, and Bexley. We provide whole-life care and are here to support our communities to live healthier lives as well as taking care of them when they need us the most.

Employing almost 7,500 colleagues, affectionately known as Team LGT, we provide services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, University Hospital Lewisham, and at over a dozen community settings in Lewisham. We also provide some services at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup.

We have recently launched our new vision and values to mark the LGT10 - the tenth anniversary of our Trust forming in 2013. Our trust vision is to be exceptional. In the quality of our patient care; our support for colleagues; and in the difference we make through our partnerships and in our communities.

To achieve this we value Respect, Compassion, and Inclusion; Being accountable over staying comfortable; Listening over always knowing best; and Succeeding together over achieving alone. You can read more about our visions and values here

Our hospitals and community sites provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services, as well as emergency and planned care. The Trust is rated as "good" or "outstanding" in over three-quarters of the services inspected by the Care Quality Commission.

Every year our work includes performing 10,000 procedures in our theatres; bringing seven and a half thousand new lives into the world; carrying out 570,000 visits to patients in their homes or communities and providing emergency care for more than 300,000 patients arriving in our busy Urgent and Emergency Departments.

LGT is a centre for the education and training of medical students enrolled with King's College London's GKT School of Medical Education. We are a training centre for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. We are pioneering new roles that will support the changing needs of our patients and are one of the largest employers of physician associates in the country.

We are committed to working with our partners to deliver the best outcomes for our local communities. This means playing an active role in the South East London Integrated Care System (ICS), and in formal partnerships including the South East London Acute Provider Collaborative, provider partnerships with our local mental health trusts and borough-based boards of the ICS in Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham.

Job overview

An exciting vacancy has arisen for a motivated and patient centered, senior clinical pharmacist to utilise their clinical skills to work both across the interface and community setting as part of the interface / domiciliary care arm of the Lewisham Integrated Medicines Optimisation Service (LIMOS). The post will be a one year contract in the first instance but offers the postholder a unique opportunity to work in this award winning model of care and gain experience in working with older people across care systems to tackle some of the challenges around the overprescribing agenda. Appointment into post as a secondment can be considered.

Responsibilities will include providing direct patient care and undertaking full, patient centered structured medication reviews to proactively manage people with complex polypharmacy and adherence concerns, particularly the elderly and those with multiple long term conditions. The role will involve visiting patients both in the hospital and home setting as an integrated approach to care. This post requires close partnership and team working to co-ordinate medicines related aspects of care across both health and social care interfaces.

Main duties of the job

The award winning LIMOS service provides a formal pathway for the referral of patients with medicine-related problems for assessment, support and follow-up by a specialist pharmacy team, working across primary and secondary care interfaces, and also health and social care boundaries. Joint Polices around medicines support across health have enabled a collaborative approach to care across the pharmacy and wider workforce.

Being supported by a network of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, this post is an exciting opportunity to work in the primary care setting but maintain strong links with pharmacy colleagues in both secondary and community settings. This close working also includes the ability to access continuing professional development via peer learning events with pharmacy professionals within both secondary care in addition to across the borough and community and secondary care

Working for our organisation

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

1. Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
2. Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
3. Improving the experience of staff with disability
4. Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
5. Making equalities mainstream

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Job Purpose:

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, along with Lewisham CCG, are continuing to develop an integrated approach to the community management of chronic diseases/long term conditions. The post-holder will support the medicines management aspects of this initiative through working within the LIMOS service within primary care or interface setting and also within the GP practice setting. The role will also involve partnership working across health and social care interfaces conducting full medication reviews in the following patient groups - housebound patients including those receiving social care packages, patients on complex multiple medications and patients with mental health issues or learning disabilities. Key objectives are to minimise unnecessary medicines-related hospital admissions, encourage self- management, improve the quality of life and care for these patients and to promote clinically and cost-effective prescribing resulting in better patient outcomes and maximise the gain from medicines.

Appropriate use of medicines is integral to effective chronic disease management and falls prevention and this position will provide medicines management support and expertise to patients in these groups. In addition to supporting targeted medication review in the most complex groups including following hospital discharge, this role will involve the provision of line management or support to, nominated band 7 pharmacists and the provision of education/training to GP Practice and Community Pharmacy staff and patients and carers.

This is a highly specialised post, which involves analysing and interpreting highly complex clinical situations to develop, provide and communicate effective medicines management solutions. They will lead the development of this highly specialist service and provide expert advice in this area.

Key Result Areas & Performance:

1. Provide medicine management reviews for identified and targeted patients including those who have medication issues or adherence related problems or are on multiple medication in the general practice, care home, and primary care or interface settings.
2. To review discharge summaries and reconcile medicines at transfer of care for identified and targeted patients.
3. Provide medicines management support to vulnerable patients following hospital discharge.
4. To work with general practice colleagues, junior LIMOS and hospital pharmacists and local Community Pharmacy colleagues to support implementation of safe systems for repeat prescribing and reduction of waste across the healthcare environment and develop the MUR /NMS process to support Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and Lewisham CCG medicines initiatives.
5. Participate in clinical audit and collect appropriate management data.
6. To work in conjunction with primary care healthcare professionals and Social Services to ensure agreed changes in medication are implemented and sustained.
7. Provide medicines management expertise and support to patients in the full range of intermediate care and service settings which may include general practice.
8. Provide support to improve concordance and helping patients get the best from their medicines, reducing medicines related admissions (including falls), and promoting appropriate evidence-based and cost effective prescribing. This will involve advice on de-prescribing where appropriate.
9. Liaise with the patient's community pharmacist, relatives and formal carers, and colleagues across health and social care where necessary, to support patient- centred and seamless care in respect of medicines, signposting or referring to other services as appropriate.
10. Provide highly specialist medicines management support to, and training for, GPs, nurses and other members of the multi-disciplinary primary care team caring for patients with chronic diseases/long term conditions in the GP practice, community and hospital setting where necessary, including specialist and community nurses.
11. Provide highly specialist medicines advice and training to patients, carers, and care home staff on medicines related issues in older people.
12. To lead on the development of protocols in collaboration with key stakeholders as necessary to support prescribing initiatives.
13. Provide support to patients within the intermediate care or care home setting in preparation for independence in taking their medicines. This may involve development of self-medication schemes and domiciliary visits after discharge.
14. Liaise with GPs, community pharmacists, community nurses, hospital pharmacists and other health and social care providers to ensure seamless pharmaceutical care for patients.
15. Liaise with social service carers on issues relating to medicines for their clients.
16. To provide medicines advice and input into community health services workstreams when required to support senior pharmacists as appropriate

Person specification

Qualifications & Training

Essential criteria

• B. Pharm / M. Pharm / BSc (Pharmacy)
• Postgraduate Diploma in either Clinical Pharmacy or General Pharmacy Practice (or equivalent)
• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

Desirable criteria

• Other postgraduate qualifications relevant to pharmacy practice, such as management, leadership or education & training qualifications.
• Registered pharmacist independent prescriber or working towards qualification.
• RPS faculty member

Experience

Essential criteria

• A minimum of 5 years post-registration experience in hospital pharmacy in an acute NHS healthcare setting or equivalent clinical experience.
• Experience in working with GP Practices and / or community pharmacy.
• Experience of multi-professional and interface working across organisations
• Demonstrable experience managing and developing pharmacy services.
• Evidence of change management.
• Experience in supervising others
• Practical experience in co-ordinating and leading on clinical audit.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of design and delivery of training programmes.
• Experience in working with intermediate care or in care homes

Knowledge & Skills

Essential criteria

• Ability to work on own initiative and effectively as part of a team both within pharmacy and a multidisciplinary environment
• Ability to delegate appropriately.
• Ability to manage difficult and complex issues or refer appropriately
• Ability to prioritise and plan work effectively alone and for a team.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex information effectively using clear written and spoken English and overcome barriers to understanding
• Ability to work positively and calmly under pressure
• Proficient in all Microsoft Office software with proven computer literacy and IT skills
• Demonstrated ability to conduct teaching and assessment in accordance with a learning plan
• Knowledge of the mentorship process

Desirable criteria

• In depth specialist knowledge of NHS clinical governance strategy, policy and current issues
• Evidence of publications.

We reserve the right to close the post before the stated closing date, please apply early. We do not contact applicants with the outcome of the shortlisting. If you have been shortlisted, you will receive an invite to an assessment day or interview.

As a local employer and anchor institution we work closely with our community to recruit locally and we welcome applications from the widest variety of people to ensure our workforce are reflective of the local communities which we serve. We encourage all suitable candidates to apply including if you are Black, Asian or other ethnic minorities, live with a disability (visible or not) or are LGBT+. We have a number of active staff networks including Disability, LGBT+, Multicultural Inclusion and Women's staff networks to bring staff together and celebrate diversity across our whole workforce.

Please note, not all roles will meet the criteria for a skilled worker visa.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Job Description & Person spec (PDF, 306.5KB)
• Working at LGT (PDF, 4.2MB)