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Job summary

Main area
Lakeside Mental Health Unit
Grade
Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
222-PHA-068
Employer
West London NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Lakeside Mental Health Unit
Town
Isleworth
Salary
£44,485 - £52,521 per annum inclusive
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
21/09/2025 23:59
Interview date
29/09/2025

Employer heading

West London NHS Trust logo

Specialist Pharmacy Technician (Lakeside)

Band 6

West London NHS Trust  provides a full range of mental health, community  and physical healthcare services for children, adults and older people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow.

We also provide some specialist services that are commissioned regionally, such as our medium secure services; and nationally, such as the Cassel Hospital for people with complex and severe personality disorder and our high secure services at Broadmoor Hospital.

Job overview

At Lakeside Mental Health Unit, the Health Based Place of Safety (HBPOS) has been substantially redesigned and improved.  In addition, the in-patient wards, Crisis Team, Clozapine Clinic and community-based teams are caring for increasing numbers of Service Users with needs of increasing complexity.  We are excited to be planning a Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service (MHCAS). Therefore, we are excited to recruit two Specialist Pharmacy Technicians to develop highest quality medicines management to the benefit of the Service Users.

The successful candidates will work with the pharmacists who are based at Lakeside Mental Health Unit, the wider pharmacy team and the wider multidisciplinary teams to develop and innovate the role of Pharmacy Technician in acute Mental Health wards and specialist Mental Health services and teams.  The successful candidates will be involved in the wider clinical governance agenda.

The successful candidates will be highly motivated with good communication skills and a keen interest in mental health who derives satisfaction from developing both the service and pharmacy colleagues. The applicant should be able to work well both in a team and autonomously. 

In recent years, the Pharmacy team in West London NHS Trust has expanded significantly and there is team focus on growth and development with multiple opportunities for staff. 

Main duties of the job

The successful candidates will work together with the pharmacists based at Lakeside Mental Health Unit (LMHU), the Lead Pharmacist Local Services Tri-Borough and Lead Pharmacy Technician to continue to develop and shape the role of a Specialist Pharmacy Technician within the wards and teams based at LMHU, ensuring the best use of medicines for service users.  The candidate will be pivotal in planning, establishing and continuing to develop medicines management services to new wards and teams within LMHU.

The candidates will work to promote and develop optimal medicines management processes within LMHU.  Working with pharmacy colleagues, the candidate will share learning across the Trust to support excellence in medicines management Trust-wide.

The candidates will provide training and development on medicines management in mental health to junior and trainee staff.  The candidate will act as an educational supervisor to trainee staff as necessary and appropriate.

The candidates will work in collaboration with the rest of the West London NHS Trust pharmacy team to provide pharmacy services across the Trust.  Where necessary, the candidate may be asked to cover colleagues’ leaves of absence

Working for our organisation

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.

Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and   Hammersmith & Fulham).  We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.

The Trust is rated as ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as ‘Outstanding’.

The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • BTEC/NVQ Level 3
  • Registered with the GPhC
  • Accredited Checking Technician
  • Medicines Optimisation Programme Trained
Desirable criteria
  • Relevant Mental Health Qualification (e.g CMHP Psych 1 & Psych 2, Pg.Cert/PgDip Psychiatric Therapeutics)

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Ward based hospital pharmacy experience
  • Working in various disciplines and across organisational boundaries, linking primary and secondary care
  • Experience of working in Dispensary
  • Experience/Interest of working in mental health setting
Desirable criteria
  • Understanding of medication used in mental health
  • Experience of delivering teaching and training sessions
  • Experience of conducting Quality Improvement projects

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Use of dispensing software systems and relevant IT systems (e.g. JAC, Microsoft Office)
  • Good understanding of medicines ordering and supply processes
  • Knowledge of Medicines Management standards
  • Understanding of clinical governance and medicines safety
Desirable criteria
  • Resources for patient information on medication
  • Mental illnesses and their treatment and issues that may affect prescribing
  • Quality Improvement Methodology

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Fair Train work experience quality standard - gold standardNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleJob share policyInvestors in PeopleDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Claire Stanniland
Job title
Lead Pharmacist Local Services Tri-Borough
Email address
[email protected]
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