New NHS Golden Jubilee cardiac pharmacist role is first in Scotland
A consultant pharmacist specialising in cardiology has joined NHS Golden Jubilee in a Scottish first for such a role.
The post is the first of its kind in the field of cardiology in Scotland based at the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital - a regional centre for the West of Scotland in the treatment of heart disease, as well as national services such as heart transplant.
It’s only the third Consultant Pharmacist post overall in the country, with the others in cancer and General Practice and Paul Forsyth joins the NHS Golden Jubilee team following 20 years’ experience working with heart patients.
One of the main priorities of the new role is to ensure heart patients get the right medicine, at the right time, especially for complicated cardiology cases, which may include implanted devices.
Medication for heart patients also changes regularly and patients require education to understand the medicines they are taking, which can be up to 10 different ones every day.
Many patients with heart disease begin their journey at NHS Golden Jubilee and Paul will be working with a highly skilled and expert multi-disciplinary team (MDT), as well as services from across the NHS Golden Jubilee Board family such as the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) and the NHS Scotland Academy.
Paul said: “NHS Golden Jubilee plays a key role in the initial treatment of heart disease patients, who often return to their local health board for continued care. Medications are a crucial part of this journey and efforts are being made to optimise treatment by ensuring patients receive the right medicine in the right place, at the right time.
“A key focus is expanding the role of pharmacists in advanced practice, including outpatient cardiology clinics and post-discharge support, to improve efficiency of our patient journey.
“Previous experience with early supported discharge clinics has shown that pharmacist-led interventions can help patients leave the hospital sooner while maintaining effective follow-up care.”
Aspects of the role include working across organisational boundaries to provide professional leadership/mentorship for West of Scotland cardiology lead pharmacists, as well as with key stakeholders to lead and coordinate current and future services to improve cardiology patient outcomes across the region.
There will be a focus on research opportunities as well as medicines optimisation as an integral part of the NHS Golden Jubilee heart services.
NHS Golden Jubilee Director of Pharmacy, Laura Fulton, said: “Paul's extensive experience in cardiology, combined with his enthusiasm for the profession and dedication to workforce development, will be invaluable not only to our Pharmacy team, but also in supporting patient care across the West of Scotland.
“As the role of pharmacists continues to expand, their advanced knowledge and skills are being increasingly utilised to enhance patient outcomes.
“By integrating pharmacists more closely into cardiology services, we can optimise treatment pathways, improve efficiency and ensure patients receive the best possible care at every stage of their journey.”
Mark MacGregor, NHS Golden Jubilee’s Medical Director, added: “As healthcare continues to evolve, the role of consultant pharmacists is expanding to meet the growing complexities of medication management within hospitals.
“We are excited to see the continued success of this role and the positive impact it will have on patient care in the years to come.”
Additional information
The Consultant Pharmacist posts are approved by the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for Scotland, with accreditation from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society - the professional leadership body for Pharmacists - following a robust and rigorous application process.
Having worked with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde since 2016 as a heart failure pharmacist and the lead pharmacist for cardiology, Paul Forsyth was seconded to NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to progress advance practice for Pharmacists in Scotland.
He has also had multiple research publications published in the field of cardiac disease and is a strong advocate for the profession and its role in the wider healthcare system.
