Pharmacy

Lister Hospital

• • Monday – Friday: 9am to 6pm (excluding bank holidays)

• • Saturday: 9am to 3pm

• • Sunday: 10am to 2pm

Mount Vernon Cancer Centre

• • Monday – Friday: 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays)

• • Saturday: 9.30am to 12.30pm

Provided by YourHealth

Lister Hospital: 01438 285509

• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 9am to 5.30pm (excluding bank holidays)
• Thursday: 9.30am to 5.30pm
• Saturday: 9am to 12noon

Mount Vernon Cancer Centre: 0203 826 2505

• Monday – Friday: 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays)

New QEII Hospital: 01707 247502

• Monday – Friday: 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays)

You have been issued with a supply of medicines to take home. This may be in addition to what you already have at home, or your medications may have changed.

Some supplies may run out after 14 days. Please contact your GP before you run out completely.

Your discharge letter will provide written information about your medicine(s). A copy is sent to your GP and in often to your nominated pharmacy so they can update your medical records.

Make the most of your medicines

• Take the medicines as directed on the label.
• For more information, read the patient information leaflet provided with the medication.
• Ensure you complete the course of medication. Do not stop taking your medicines if you start feeling better, unless your doctor agrees.
• If you miss doses, don’t try to ‘catch up’ by taking two or three missed doses at once. If you’re worried, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
• Keep your medicines in a cool, dry place out of sight and reach of children.  Medicines can ’go off’ if they are stored in warm, damp places like bathrooms.

Never share your medicines.

Lowering your risk of hospital-associated clots

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the collective name for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), commonly a blood clot in the leg, or a pulmonary embolism (PE), a blood clot in your lung.

Common symptoms of a DVT include unexplained leg pain or tenderness, unexplained leg swelling, leg warm to the touch and redness. Common symptoms of a PE include shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chest pain, coughing up blood and sudden collapse.

Why do I need to know about blood clots?

Being admitted into hospital can increase your risk of developing a VTE. Some reasons for this include prolonged immobility, sticky blood occurs during illness, surgery or trauma to the legs.

Clots are serious conditions and need urgent medical attention.

If you notice any signs of PE call 999 immediately.

If you notice any signs of DVT call your GP, midwife or 111.

What can I do to decrease my risk on discharge?

Stay as active as you can. Keep hydrated by drinking normal amounts of fluid. Your doctor might prescribe you medication or stockings to prevent clots post-discharge (most commonly in surgical patients). If so, please take as advised.

Please be aware that your risk of VTE continues for 3 months after leaving the hospital. See a doctor or attend A&E immediately if you have any signs or symptoms of a DVT or PE.

Where else can you find more information on medicines?

• Most medicines are supplied with a patient information leaflet in the pack which provides detailed information about the medicine
• https://www.enherts-tr.nhs.uk/
• Your GP or your local Pharmacy
• NHS Choices nhs.uk/medicine-guides
• Patient UK patient.info
• Thrombosis (clot) prevention thrombosisUK.org

You can request this information in a different format or another language; please speak to your doctor or nurse.

When collecting your hospital prescription, you can wait in one of our seating areas or drop your prescription off and return later to collect it. Liaise with the pharmacy team when you should return. Normal prescription charges apply to all medicines dispensed for hospital outpatient prescriptions. You can pay using cash or debit/credit card. If you are entitled to a free prescription, you are asked to sign the prescription and show proof of exemption.

YourHealth Pharmacy, the outpatient pharmacy department of the Trust, provides a free of charge prescription delivery service to all patients of the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust. We currently operate our delivery service from the New QEII Hospital and the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre. Please provide up to 72 hours for our pharmacy team to prepare and deliver your prescriptions.

Please contact the following pharmacies for more information:

• Mount Vernon Cancer Centre
  020 3826 2506 (see opening times above)
• New QEII Hospital
  01707 247502 (see opening times above)

The Trust provides information for patients to help support them with their medication, including a helpline and patient leaflets. More information about this can be found on the Medication Advice page.

For many years in a row, whilst the Staff Awards have been held, the pharmacy team and team members have received the following accolades:

• 2019: The G4S Patients First Award
• 2022: The Nervecentre Clinical Team of the Year presented to the Covid Medicines Delivery Unit and The InPhase Patient First Award  presented to the Covid Medicines Delivery Unit
• 2023: Seamless Service Award, awarded to Pharmacy Technician Specialist – IDT & Complex Discharges
• 2024: The Hunter Healthcare Improve ViP Award, awarded to Pharmacist Advanced, Endocrinology & High Cost Drugs

We have an active X (Twitter) account. Follow us at @PharmacyENHT for any vacancy information, good news stories and updates.

Education and training

We have a dedicated education and training team supporting our trainee pharmacists and trainee technicians at the Lister Hospital site.

Applying for a Foundation Trainee Pharmacist post

East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust takes 5 Foundation Trainee Pharmacist places each year, one of these being split between Lister Hospital and Letchworth Pharmacy.  The programme commences at the end of July/early August each year. Applications are made via the ORIEL system. Information about our Foundation Trainee Pharmacist programme is available on this presentation.

Applying for a Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician, Pharmacy Support Worker or Pharmacy Apprenticeship posts

Applications for a Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician or Pharmacy Support Worker post can be made via NHS jobs.

For any further information or informal visits please contact Chloe Chapman via email or 01438 284032.   Information about our Pharmacy Technician and Support Worker Apprenticeship training programme is available on this presentation.

Applying for work experience in the pharmacy department

For opportunities to get work experience in the pharmacy department, please apply on the Talent Academy portal.

Recruitment

All job vacancies are posted on NHS Jobs.

If you are a registered pharmacist or technician, or have experience working in a pharmacy and are looking for a job – whether short or long term – please contact Deepika Shah, Deputy Chief Pharmacist.