Kellie Hempstead is an outsourced outpatient pharmacy contract manager. As part of National Pharmacy Technician Day on Tuesday 17 October 2023, Kellie shares her story about how she got into her role and her time at CUH.
What is your name?
Hi, I'm Kellie Hempstead
What’s your role in our hospitals?
Outsourced Outpatient Pharmacy Contract Manager. I am a qualified, registered pharmacy technician with the GPhC and a member of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians which allows me to use MAPharmT after my name.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Every day is different. The career path of being a pharmacy technician is so diverse and I enjoy the variety this brings.
Tell us a bit about your CUH journey.
I joined CUH fresh out of college in September 1998. I could not decide whether to go to university or take the opportunity to train to become a pharmacy technician. The opportunity to gain a qualification and earn money was the option I took thinking I would only stay at Addenbrookes for a couple of years and once qualified I would go elsewhere but here I am 25 years later!
What positions have you held at CUH?
I started as a trainee pharmacy technician moving into a rotational post once qualified. Over the years I have managed the oncology department where we make chemotherapy, taken a year out of being a clinical pharmacy technician to be a research assistant for a joint project with the University of East Anglia and set up services in areas that did not have a clinical pharmacy service including ED, Critical Care and The Rosie.
Why you like working at CUH?
Working at CUH is a familiar environment to me. I was a patient at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) from the age of 9 months, when I turned 18 I was transferred to my local hospital which was Addenbrookes and I was an outpatient here until Papworth opened. I had my son here and I know many faces who I have worked with over the last 25 years.
I have the ability to work flexibly as a working parent and I feel supported in my current role.
I also particularly appreciate Costa and M&S!
What does a usual day look like for you?
A usual day – arrive and answer any emails, head off to the outpatient pharmacy – Rowlands - to say morning and check whether there is anything for me to attend to. I then return to my desk where I work on projects and troubleshoot any issues that may arise. I work closely with my CUH and Rowlands colleagues and have a great resource of kind and helpful colleagues who I am able to go to when needed. I attend patient group meetings which gives me the opportunity to hear from patients first hand and I am able to work proactively and reactively to provide patient care.
Tell us about a case study/project or something you’ve worked on that really stands out to you.
Being a hospital outpatient pharmacy we are very different to a community pharmacy and I am learning every day having been in post for a year now. It is really great to meet patients and staff who have benefitted from treatment and services via the outpatient pharmacy and working on ways to improve the patient experience of the outpatient pharmacy.
How do you feel your role benefits our patients?
I am and always have been patient focused in every aspect of my work. I work closely with Rowlands and Trust pharmacy staff to ensure we deliver the best care possible to patients and always take on board comments and suggestions for improved experiences.