Job overview

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Clinical Pharmacist – Antimicrobials to join our dynamic team at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

This pivotal role involves leading and optimising antimicrobial stewardship programmes to promote the appropriate use of antimicrobials, reduce resistance, and improve patient outcomes. You will work closely with our Microbiologist team and wider Antimicrobial Stewardship group, ensuring the safe and effective use of anti-infectives across the Trust and beyond.

As a Senior Pharmacist, you will provide advanced clinical practice, leadership, and expert guidance in the management of infectious diseases. Your responsibilities will include developing and implementing strategic plans for antimicrobial stewardship initiatives, providing education and training to healthcare professionals, and ensuring cost-effective anti-infective usage.

This role requires a high degree of professional autonomy and clinical judgement, making it an excellent opportunity for a dedicated professional to make a significant impact on patient care and public health.

Main duties of the job

•  To provide expert level leadership to deliver, develop, manage and evaluate anti-infective treatments and antimicrobial stewardship initiatives alongside the members of the Antimicrobial Stewardship team in accordance with appropriate Trust and Hospital objectives.
• To support the provision of a safe, efficient and cost-effective use of anti-infective treatments service to our patients whether being treated as an inpatient, outpatient or via our IV at Home service.
• To provide expert level professional leadership for, and management of the pharmacy staff working within anti-infective roles.
• To be responsible for the education and training of pharmacy staff and other healthcare professionals on anti-infective treatments and antimicrobial stewardship.
• To develop and maintain expert pharmaceutical advice and clinical knowledge on anti-infective treatments and antimicrobial stewardship.
• To lead and be a role model, both within the Trust, nationally and internationally in the field of antimicrobial stewardship.
• To lead on the strategic development of antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.
• To report on anti-infective prescribing and ensure cost-effective anti-infective usage across the Trust.
• Act as an independent prescriber to ensure safe prescribing of anti-infective treatments.

Working for our organisation

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides a full range of local hospital and community services for people across East Cheshire (population 399K) and West Cheshire and Chester boroughs (population 357K).

The Trust provides high quality planned and unplanned/emergency care, cardiac and critical care as well as child health, maternity services, and intermediate care across our sites at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford. The Trust provides 500 beds and employs over 5,000 members of staff.

An extensive range of community services is provided across 26 medical centres and schools by our community arm, Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership, in collaboration with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FT and the South Cheshire and Vale Royal GP Alliance. With the formation of Integrated Care Systems in July 2022 the Trust became a strategic partner in both Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester ‘places’ and is part of the Cheshire and Merseyside partnership caring for a population of over 2.7million.

During the Coronavirus pandemic, the Trust was recognised nationally for its ‘Be Safe Be EquiPPEd’ campaign, which aimed to make the Trust as safe as possible for staff and patients, through supporting the correct use of PPE.

At Mid Cheshire, our mission is to inspire hope and provide unparalleled care for the people and communities of Cheshire, helping them to enjoy life to the fullest.