Head of the NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service for England
| Posting date: | 26 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £112,782 - £129,783 per annum |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 25 June 2026 |
| Location: | Liverpool, L69 3GF |
| Company: | Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7952417/287-PPU-5-26 |
Summary
A Vacancy at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
A fantastic opportunity has opened up to lead the NHS England commissioned national Specialist Pharmacy Service, the case for and strategic development of which are mandated in the 2014 NHS England paper: The review of specialist pharmacy services in England and in line with a further commissioning arrangement.
The successful candidate will be enthusiastic, hard-working and have a strong track record of service development and innovation. They will have extensive experience and understanding of managing across boundaries in the NHS.
The post-holder would work with the SPS Service Leads and the Office of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer in developing and leading SPS. The service has 100 wte staff currently hosted through nine acute hospitals across England. Specialities include, medicines procurement, pharmaceutical quality assurance, medicines advice and medicines use and safety. The service has website www.sps.nhs.uk which attracts 8.5 million views per annum and hosts several medicines related tools, key articles and information for front line health care professionals.
The post is based in the Pharmacy Practice Unit, Liverpool, where it is hosted by Liverpool University Hospital Group. Remote working is possible with a commitment to attend site for key meetings monthly.
The purpose of this role is to lead the NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) in successful delivery of the national contract with NHS England and enable access to specialist pharmacy expertise on behalf of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England.
NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHL Group) was formed on 1 November 2024, born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our communities.
We are one of the largest employers in region, with over 18,900 colleagues who are dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.
For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services that extend to more than two million people in the North West.
We operate from five hospital sites: Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside, and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility. Broadgreen Hospital is home to several elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation. Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital provide specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology and respiratory medicine, both in the hospital and out in the community. Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK’s largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospitalis the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single en-suite bedrooms and mainly focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.
The key aspects of this role will be to:
• Provide leadership and strategic direction for SPS in England
• Lead and oversee functional delivery to ensure that SPS is deployed to meet the needs of patients, providers, commissioners and clinical and professional networks.
• Ensure that service requirements and key performance indicators are delivered and collated to enable oversight by the SPS contract management board.
• Manage the Chief of Staff of SPS, the SPS function Hub Leads employed in the Pharmacy Practice Unit, Liverpool. To include Medicines Use and Safety, Medicines Advice and Quality Assurance and Procurement.
• Lead the SPS Operational Group, comprising the Assistant Head of SPS and nominated leads from Medicines Use and Safety, Medicines Advice, Quality Assurance, Procurement and Website and Digital.
• Contribute to NHS England's Pharmacy Senior Management Team and interface effectively with the CPhO Pharmacy Advisory Group, Acute Providers' Pharmacy Advisory Group, ICB Chief Pharmacists Group and NHSE policy teams.
• Liaise with Regional Medical Directors, Regional Chief Pharmacists (or their equivalent) and regional pharmacy workforce leads on the equitable delivery of SPS across England.
• Liaise with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society on the contribution of SPS to the work on professional standard sand the appropriate recognition of expertise in within the Society's faculty programme.
• To provide managerial oversight to the Pharmacy Practice Unit (Liverpool) to include Quality Control Northwest (QCNW) Liverpool.
This advert closes on Tuesday 9 Jun 2026
A fantastic opportunity has opened up to lead the NHS England commissioned national Specialist Pharmacy Service, the case for and strategic development of which are mandated in the 2014 NHS England paper: The review of specialist pharmacy services in England and in line with a further commissioning arrangement.
The successful candidate will be enthusiastic, hard-working and have a strong track record of service development and innovation. They will have extensive experience and understanding of managing across boundaries in the NHS.
The post-holder would work with the SPS Service Leads and the Office of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer in developing and leading SPS. The service has 100 wte staff currently hosted through nine acute hospitals across England. Specialities include, medicines procurement, pharmaceutical quality assurance, medicines advice and medicines use and safety. The service has website www.sps.nhs.uk which attracts 8.5 million views per annum and hosts several medicines related tools, key articles and information for front line health care professionals.
The post is based in the Pharmacy Practice Unit, Liverpool, where it is hosted by Liverpool University Hospital Group. Remote working is possible with a commitment to attend site for key meetings monthly.
The purpose of this role is to lead the NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) in successful delivery of the national contract with NHS England and enable access to specialist pharmacy expertise on behalf of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England.
NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHL Group) was formed on 1 November 2024, born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our communities.
We are one of the largest employers in region, with over 18,900 colleagues who are dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.
For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services that extend to more than two million people in the North West.
We operate from five hospital sites: Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside, and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility. Broadgreen Hospital is home to several elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation. Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital provide specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology and respiratory medicine, both in the hospital and out in the community. Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK’s largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospitalis the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single en-suite bedrooms and mainly focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.
The key aspects of this role will be to:
• Provide leadership and strategic direction for SPS in England
• Lead and oversee functional delivery to ensure that SPS is deployed to meet the needs of patients, providers, commissioners and clinical and professional networks.
• Ensure that service requirements and key performance indicators are delivered and collated to enable oversight by the SPS contract management board.
• Manage the Chief of Staff of SPS, the SPS function Hub Leads employed in the Pharmacy Practice Unit, Liverpool. To include Medicines Use and Safety, Medicines Advice and Quality Assurance and Procurement.
• Lead the SPS Operational Group, comprising the Assistant Head of SPS and nominated leads from Medicines Use and Safety, Medicines Advice, Quality Assurance, Procurement and Website and Digital.
• Contribute to NHS England's Pharmacy Senior Management Team and interface effectively with the CPhO Pharmacy Advisory Group, Acute Providers' Pharmacy Advisory Group, ICB Chief Pharmacists Group and NHSE policy teams.
• Liaise with Regional Medical Directors, Regional Chief Pharmacists (or their equivalent) and regional pharmacy workforce leads on the equitable delivery of SPS across England.
• Liaise with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society on the contribution of SPS to the work on professional standard sand the appropriate recognition of expertise in within the Society's faculty programme.
• To provide managerial oversight to the Pharmacy Practice Unit (Liverpool) to include Quality Control Northwest (QCNW) Liverpool.
This advert closes on Tuesday 9 Jun 2026