About this role
Job summary
The post holder will work as an advanced specialist antimicrobial pharmacist, supporting delivery of high quality Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) across the Integrated Care Board.
The post holder will provide expert antimicrobial advice, contribute to AMS improvement projects, support data analysis, deliver training, and work collaboratively across the system.
The post holder will support the ICS AMS strategy and work under the direction of the Director of Medicines Optimisation and Pharmacy (Chief Pharmacist).
Main duties of the job
Provide advanced specialist antimicrobial pharmacy advice across the Integrated Care System (ICS), supporting consistent, evidence based antimicrobial prescribing across primary care, community services and secondary care providers. This will include advising prescribers on complex antimicrobial decisions, such as management of resistant infections, optimisation of treatment duration and antimicrobial de-escalation, ensuring advice reflects national guidance while accounting for local resistance patterns and system priorities.
Support the delivery and implementation of the ICS Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Strategy, working with system partners to embed stewardship principles across organisational boundaries. This will include contributing to the development and delivery of system action plans, supporting agreed ICS priorities and enabling alignment between local provider AMS programmes, for example supporting systemwide adoption of shared antimicrobial prescribing guidance.
Support system level monitoring, interpretation and reporting of antimicrobial prescribing and stewardship metrics, including agreed key performance indicators and relevant CQUIN requirements. This will include analysing prescribing and resistance data across organisations, identifying variation and emerging risks, and supporting the use of intelligence to inform systemwide quality improvement activity, for example highlighting trends in WATCH antibiotic use to relevant ICS governance groups.
About us
We manage an annual budget of £4.9 billion to commission safe, high quality and accessible health services for 1.7million people living in Norfolk and Suffolk.
We work with hospitals, GP practices, dentists, pharmacies, community, mental health and ambulance services, alongside local councils and voluntary organisations, to improve care. We involve local communities in shaping decisions and use their insights to improve services. As a statutory NHS organisation, we are accountable to NHS England and the UK Government.
Our role is to ensure services meet current and future needs by setting local NHS strategy, allocating funding, maintaining quality and safety standards, improving access, reducing health inequalities and enabling joined up care.
Norfolk and Suffolk include rural, coastal and deprived communities, with an older than average population. Around half of residents live in rural or coastal areas, where access can be harder, and about 219,000 people live in the most deprived areas, where early deaths are significantly higher. These factors shape our planning and focus on reducing inequalities.
Our vision is for people to live longer, healthier lives with access to safe, joined up, patient centred care. We prioritise improving healthy life expectancy, reducing inequalities and ensuring consistent access to high quality services.
We work across five local Places and partner with NHS providers, councils, the VCFSE sector and communities to deliver locally responsive care.
Job description Job responsibilities
The job description and person specification are an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The job holder will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by their line manager.
The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the Department and the Organisation.
Person Specification
Autonomy Essential
Must be able to use initiative to decide relevant actions and make recommendations to Sponsor/ Manager, with the aim of improving deliverables and compliance to policies. Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues, working to tight and often changing timescales. Experience of identifying and interpreting National policy. Experience of researching best practice (globally, private and public sector), interpreting its relevance and processes/ practices which could be implemented successfully to achieve system reform (advising on policy implementation).
Analytical Essential
Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands. Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options. Takes decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action. Strategic thinking ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.
Other Essential
Used to working in a busy environment. Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change. Willing to engage with and learn from peers, other professionals and colleagues in the desire to provide or support the most appropriate interventions. Professional calm and efficient manner. Effective organizer, influencer and networker. Demonstrates a strong desire to improve performance and make a difference by focusing on goals. Completer/Finisher.
Knowledge, Training and Experience Essential
Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area. Extensive knowledge of specialist areas, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to masters level equivalent. Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development Must have an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy and appreciate the implications of this on engagement. Should have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health, NHS England and individual provider and commissioning organisations. Member of relevant professional body.
Communication Essential
Must be able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups. Negotiate on difficult and controversial issues including performance and change.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board
Address Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board
County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich
Norfolk
NR1 2DH
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.norfolkandsuffolk.icb.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)