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Job summary

Main area
Division B-Rotational Pharmacy Technician
Grade
Band 4/5
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
  • Flexible working
37.5 hours per week (Full Time or Part Time/ Flexible working hours may be considered)
Job ref
180-B-254089
Employer
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Addenbrookes Hospital-Division B
Town
Cambridge
Salary
£26,530 - £36,483 p.a. pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
19/06/2025 23:59
Interview date
27/06/2025

Employer heading

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust logo

Rotational Pharmacy Technician

Band 4/5

Job overview

We are recruiting for Pharmacy Technicians to join our friendly and supportive rotational team. There are plenty of opportunities to develop new skills and gain experience while being able to rotate around different areas of the department to discover where your passions lie. 

This essential role provides the opportunity for Pharmacy Technicians to put their skills into practice, working with innovative technology & systems, whilst also continuing to build and develop new skills for future career progression. This role will give you a chance to develop your team leader skills with opportunities to act up as a team leader in our dispensary, allows you to work on CPD and revalidation, promote presentation and poster work, partake in regular group meetings with your peers, look into project work and auditing and really advance your Pharmacy career. We actively encourage interest from Pharmacy Technicians across all sectors and have a wealth of experience within the team to support transition from other sectors of pharmacy towards hospital pharmacy.

 

Main duties of the job

We are able to offer an extensive rotational development programme which is suitable for Pharmacy Technicians joining the Trust from any Pharmacy sector.  Rotations currently include Inpatient Dispensary, Aseptic Services Unit (including both the Cytotoxic & TPN suites), Clinical services (Medicines Management), Medicines information, Quality assurance, Homecare and Central Pharmacy Stores & Distribution (which includes goods in, issuing stock and procurement) and Clinical trials dispensary. Our inclusive and diverse pharmacy department has a strong clinical presence in all areas, and rotational Pharmacy technicians will continue to keep up with ACPT and clinical competencies as they continue to rotate in other areas.

We are looking for highly motivated Pharmacy Technicians with excellent organisational skills, verbal, and non-verbal communication skills, motivated to support others and able to work under pressure whilst ensuring accuracy in all aspects of pharmacy for patient centered care. We look forward to and welcome Pharmacy Technicians joining from other sectors and offer bespoke induction arrangements for those new to hospital pharmacy.

We encourage applications from pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technicians who are due to qualify within 6 months and are working towards registration with the GPhC. 

Working for our organisation

Our Trust

Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people – patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing ‘outstanding’ care to our patients and rated ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH’s values – Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent – are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.

CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people’s age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

PLEASE NOTE: This role is only suitable for applicants holding current General Pharmaceutical Council registration as a Pharmacy Technician in the UK or pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians expecting to register within the next 6 months.

*** NOTE: Applications which do not meet this criteria will not be accepted ***

Are you looking for an exciting new job role? Do you want to gain experience working in a hospital pharmacy environment? A chance to enhance your Pharmacy career and expand your skillset? Are you a Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician looking to start your Pharmacy career? Or are you just unsure of where you’d like to specialise? Then we have an exciting opportunity for you!

Want to move into Hospital Pharmacy from another sector and haven’t got UK Hospital Pharmacy experience?  That’s not a problem, successful candidates will have the opportunity to develop and undertake a supportive induction programme, with regular 1:1’s and support to a progress into a Band 5 post once the relevant competencies have been achieved. So come join us!

We are an innovative and forward-thinking department and have a great record of ‘growing our own’ talented workforce, ensuring we invest in our staff to improve their own development. As a Rotational Pharmacy Technician, we aim to provide support and encouragement to pursue development opportunities liaising with our Pharmacy Education and Training team for you to expand and enhance your professional career and achieve personal goals. Whether it be to gain a national certification in Final Accuracy Checking (ACPT), Medicines Management (MM) and Medicine Reconciliation (MR) or further advanced courses specific to your role. Additional opportunities include attendance at a range of personal skills and training sessions delivered within the Trust. We will also provide opportunities for you to shadow and work with Specialist Pharmacy Technicians / Pharmacy team members within the department.  As a staff member in a large teaching hospital, you would be expected to support our various trainees where appropriate and to act as a role model demonstrating the Trust values and leadership skills and behaviours. 

Our department is proud to prioritise the inclusion of all staff and we support everyone to achieve their potential.

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:
-    applied for a Graduate visa
-    or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment
-    or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employment

This vacancy will close at midnight on 19th June 2025

Interviews should be held on 27th June 2025

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff. 

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • BTEC Pharmaceutical Science, NVQ Level 3 Pharmacy Services or equivalent (UK qualification).
  • Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as a Pharmacy Technician
  • Checking Accreditation(s), ONE or all of: Accuracy Checking Accreditation (National Framework), Medicines Management Accreditation (CMMPT or National equivalent), and Preparative Services Checking Accreditation.
Desirable criteria
  • Evidence of CPD (mandatory on registration) to demonstrate ability to undertake CPD self-directed to maintain registration.
  • APTUK membership

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Recent experience of working in a Hospital Pharmacy, General Practice or Community Pharmacy.
  • Experience in dispensing
Desirable criteria
  • Experience working in all or one of the following Aseptics, Clinical services , Medicines information and Homecare
  • Supervision of Pharmacy staff

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of and ability to follow national protocols and guidance as well as local policies and procedures.
  • Knowledge of the professional leadership body
  • Knowledge of the GPhC
Desirable criteria
  • Knowledge of clinical pharmacy in at least one speciality
  • Knowledge of Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice (GGMP)
  • Knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
  • Knowledge of Good Distribution Practice (GDP)
  • Involved in implementation of relevant guidance

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Good computer skills and IT knowledge (Word, Excel)
  • Good communication skills (verbal and written).
  • Good interpersonal and consultation skills
  • Good personal organisational skills (demonstrating you can manage your own workload and handle conflicting and changing workload priorities)
  • Positive attitude towards personal/ self-development
  • Be reliable, supportive and reflective
  • Ability to work calmly and efficiently under pressure
  • Ability to act on own initiative
  • To be flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of the service
  • Ability to work to deadlines and to meet agreed objectives
  • Ability to deal with members of the public and/ or other health care professionals in a professional manner
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to supervise Pharmacy support workers and other staff, as appropriate.
  • Able to solve problems as appropriate
  • Ability to work as a team leader

Additional Requirements

Essential criteria
  • The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of Together – Safe, Kind, Excellent.
  • Value diversity and respect cultural differences – making sure that every person is treated fairly and with respect

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Trust IDVeteran AwareNo smoking policyDisability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Age-Friendly Employer PledgeCare quality commission - GoodMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.We offer Wagestream - A financial wellbeing benefit which lets you access your pay as you earn it.NHS Rainbow badgeTime to changeStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Step into healthApprenticeships Top 100 Employers 2024

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Lottie Harries
Job title
Specialist Pharmacy Technician Education/Training
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01223 256115
Additional information

Want to find out more and have a chat?

We are offering one to one sessions with myself (Lottie Harries) and another member of our Rotational Pharmacy Technician team where we can answer any questions you may have prior to the advert closing.  Please sign up to one of the sessions below if you would like a virtual chat or face to face tour of the department prior to the closing date. Please find the link below.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=slTDN7CF9UeyIge0jXdO442VTA6duORMrTfDtrbRpNxUMkdKVFRDQ1VNSk9CQjFQSENRNFdSRTBYSi4u

*Please note this is just an informal discussion, not an interview. 

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