About this role
Job summary
We are seeking an experienced and visionary Consultant Pharmacist in Antimicrobial Stewardship to lead the Trusts antimicrobial stewardship programme. This is a senior leadership role, working strategically across the Trust and local health systems to ensure safe, effective, and evidence-based use of antimicrobials across the region.
You will be recognised nationally as an expert in antimicrobial stewardship, providing leadership, education, and innovation to improve patient outcomes and reduce antimicrobial resistance. Funding has been gained from NHSE for an initial 24-month fixed term contract, during this time there is an expectation that the role will prove its worth, so it becomes permanently established within the pharmacy staffing establishment.
This post may be offered under Annex 21 AfC Terms & Conditions, subject to experience, competency and suitability. Please note that the title "Consultant Pharmacist" - can only be used once the credentialling process is complete
Interviews will consist of an Assessment Centre w/c 29th June 2026
Main duties of the job
Lead the development and implementation of antimicrobial stewardship policies and strategies across the Trust
Provide expert clinical input into the management of infections and antimicrobial prescribing
Work collaboratively with senior clinicians, managers, and multidisciplinary teams to deliver integrated care across the health system
Manage and develop pharmacy services, ensuring efficiency and quality of antimicrobials
Contribute to national and regional antimicrobial stewardship initiatives through publications, presentations, and professional networks
Deliver teaching, training, and mentoring to pharmacy staff and other healthcare professionals
Provide leadership in antimicrobial stewardship, financial and operational reporting for antimicrobials.
About us
MWLserves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our Services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Best performing North West Acute Teaching Trust (2025/26), NHS Oversight Framework
Job description Job responsibilities
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
To provide a service to patients care that require antimicrobials, optimising patient outcomes and improving the patient experience, working within patient care pathways across sectors and healthcare boundaries.
To manage, strategically lead and co-ordinate the pharmacy team in the provision of a safe, effective and efficient clinical pharmacy service to patients requiring antimicrobials, in accordance with local and national standards and strategy.
To contribute to improving health outcomes for patients using a holistic approach to care, ensuring the safe and effective use of medicine through provision of medicines-related aspects of patient care.
To promote improvements in quality, safety and cost effectiveness of medicines use and supporting holistic management of antimicrobial therapy, influencing the wider community of practice.
To ensure all members of the pharmacy team are trained and competent for their role undertaking reviews of patients taking antimicrobials through training and appraisal.
To accept case referrals for medicines optimisation of patients requiring antimicrobial therapy.
To act as a mentor and role model as an expert clinical pharmacist, manager and leader.
To use innovation to support effective patient outcomes, safety and experience aligned with relevant national agenda.
To lead and deliver education and training in appropriate use of antimicrobial therapy for pharmacy and other healthcare professionals across the health economy.
To lead, undertake, supervise and publish research of antimicrobial stewardship.
To lead and be a role model in the field locally, regionally and nationally
To fulfil the role of Consultant Pharmacist - Antimicrobial Stewardship as described in the Consultant Pharmacist Guidance, Consultant Pharmacists Short Life Working Group (January 2020) https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Consultant%20Pharmacist%20Guidance%20Final%20Jan2020.pdf
In line with the National Profiles for Pharmacy, produced by NHS Employers, the consultant pharmacist post requires the post holder to:
a. Be responsible for leading and delivering highly specialist pharmacy service; undertake relevant risk management and ensure compliance with medicines legislation
b. Provide expert advice on pharmaceutical matters in specialist field
c. Lead and develops clinical audit; co-ordinate and undertake research; provide specialist training.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Masters degree in Pharmacy or equivalent Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Fulfilment of mandatory Continuous Professional Development/Revalidation requirements Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy Accredited Independent non-medical prescriber Meets or exceeds Department of Health Consultant Pharmacist Framework competencies (Annex 21) Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society accredited at Advanced level 2* or Fellowship of RPS faculty or equivalent in line with Department of Health 2005 Guidance for the Development of Consultant Pharmacist Posts (Annex 21)
Desirable
Accredited Tutor for post-graduate clinical diploma
Experience Essential
Experience of managing a team Appropriate and current clinical experience in Clinical Pharmacy relating to Antimicrobial Stewardship and the management of infections Line Management Experience Proven experience of working at a strategic level with senior clinicians and managers and experience of working in an integrated directorate team Proven experience of working at a strategic level across the wider health community Proven budget management or monitoring ability and demonstrable success in achieving savings Provision of drug usage and expenditure reports and use of financial reports to influence business cases and clinical practice Recognition as an expert nationally through publications/presentations or officer in a national group Previous experience teaching/training/mentoring Proven medicines related policy development and implementation Broad clinical or directorate pharmacy provision in a number of different clinical areas Proven experience of managing and developing a service within limited resources Formal teaching/training/mentoring training Proven facilitative leadership skills Understanding of NHS finances
Skills Essential
Excellent verbal and written communication Ability to affect and manage change Self-motivated and able to motivate/ inspire others Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team Proven time management skills and an ability to work under pressure Negotiating and influencing skills Committed to patient care Approachable and flexible Problem identification, prioritisation and solving Professional and personal integrity Computer literate Supportive to other members of Pharmacy and multidisciplinary teams
Other Essential
Moderate physical effort required Some standing, walking sitting Use of VDU equipment Able to work under pressure, remains calm and objective Analysis of prescriptions. Interruptions for advice Frequent concentration, work pattern unpredictable Concentration for reviewing prescriptions, calculations, statistics; may be interrupted by urgent requests for advice Analysis and formulation of procedures and guidelines Ability to rationalise complex issues Complex dosage advice Exposure to upsetting situations, high level of resilience to deal with distressing and/or challenging situations Distressed patients with complex diseases Professional appearance and hygiene awareness Cross site travel and cover Weekend, Late night, on call and Bank Holiday Working
Trust Values Essential
We are Kind We are Open We are Inclusive
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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 Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Address Whiston Hospital
Warrington Road
Prescot
L35 5DR
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.merseywestlancs.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)