Principal Pharmacist: Medication Safety and Governance

#TeamMKUH are looking for an experienced and passionate Principal Pharmacist to play a key role in Medication Safety and Governance at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Working closely with the Medicines Use & Quality Manager, the post-holder will provide expert leadership, influence practice at senior level, and drive continuous improvement in patient safety. This is an excellent opportunity for an advanced pharmacy practitioner who wants to take the next step in the career and make a tangible impact on patient outcomes and service quality.

You will lead on ensuring there are robust systems for incident reporting, learning and assurance, leading investigations into medication-related incidents, supporting compliance with national safety alerts and CQC requirements, and providing expert advice on medicines governance.

Working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, senior clinicians, and operational leaders, you will influence strategic decision-making, support quality improvement initiatives, lead audits, and contribute to service development.

'We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute', To support medicines safety, clinical governance and regulatory compliance across Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Trust.

To act to ensure the safe, effective, and high-quality use of medicines through robust systems, assurance processes, learning from incidents, and implementation of national safety alerts and regulatory requirements.

To support the Medicine Use and Quality Manager to develop and deliver the medicines governance agenda including the preparation and maintenance of pharmacy-wide policies and procedures relating to the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines.

To support the Trust's patient safety agenda, Quality Improvement (QI) programme, and compliance with CQC standards, NHS England requirements, and national patient safety frameworks.

To oversee and complete comprehensive reporting on medication incidents both within the pharmacy department and trust-wide to relevant committee meetings and to be responsible for driving actions to improve patient safety across the organisation.

To lead on the governance of Controlled Drugs working with the Clinical Director of Pharmacy and the Controlled Drug Accountable Officer.

To support the Medicine Use and Quality Manager to develop, deliver and evaluate the service they are responsible for in accordance with relevant standards and guidance.

Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a "Good" rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.

As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.

We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.

Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards - a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards - and the recently approved Women and Children's Centre, set to open by 2030.

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