Job summary
- Main area
- Pharmacy
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 432-HR345-25
- Employer
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Ipswich Hospital
- Town
- Ipswich
- Salary
- £24,625 - £25,674 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 22/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Senior Pharmacy Assistant – Patient Services
NHS AfC: Band 3
We are one of the largest NHS organisation in England. Our scale provides exciting opportunities for development, innovation, research, education and training.
Talk to us about our range of flexible working opportunities, apprenticeships and staff benefits
Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is at the heart of all we do; and it forms part of the ESNEFT’s core activities. The Trust operates and relies on everyone treating each other with dignity and respect, to receive equitable and fair treatment in the implementation of Policies, Procedures and in its Practices, to foster positive work relationships, and finally to act with integrity as a professional within ESNEFT as well as a representative of the NHS as a whole. The EDI Agenda reflects the Trust values such as Optimistic, Appreciative and Kind. In line with the NHS Long Term Plan, People Plan, People Promise and a Model Employer intrinsic in the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Agenda, we consistently strive to improve, to take the learning into Action for a better ESNEFT.
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge then we are keen to hear from you.
Job overview
We are looking for a pharmacy assistant to work within the dispensaries and regularly visit wards/clinical areas to provide pharmacy services and be an integral part of the pharmacy 7 day service
For Band 3 you will have a Full Level 2 NVQ (or equivalent) in pharmacy service skills, at least 2 GCSEs (or equivalent) grade C or above (9-4), and relevant experience. If these are not held the position will be considered as a developmental role to start in a Band 2, while you are supported in completing the required skills and competencies (length of development will be determined on past experience and completion of the Self Led Education and Development Scheme (SLEDS) training programme). Previous experience, qualification and accreditations will be considered.
To provide a high quality service to our patients you will be a team player with the ability to work flexibly, react positively to change and know the limitations of the role. You will communicate effectively with patients, carers and the multi-disciplinary team. You must be able to follow written procedures, work under supervision and complete tasks accurately to set deadlines.
We welcome calls to find out more information. Tours of the department available upon request.
Details about our pharmacy service - https://esneft.pagetiger.com/buqzfou/1
Main duties of the job
- Provide dispensing support to qualified staff.
- Written standard operating procedures are available for work undertaken and you must adhere to them unless otherwise authorised.
- Receive in prescriptions from a wide range of outpatient clinics
- To ensure that all customers receive the appropriate medicine in the correct form and in a timely manner
- To ensure that all medicines are labelled and packaged appropriately, and all relevant patient information and compliance aids/sundries are supplied.
- To ensure that the declaration of payment/exemption on outpatient prescriptions has been correctly filled in and clearly endorsed with grounds for exemption if a fee is not paid.
- Dispense for inpatients and outpatients by calculating appropriate dosage and quantities required against prescriptions/requisitions, following department standard operating procedures (SOPS).
- Perform self-checks on all dispensed items to ensure accuracy and quality prior to placing the item for final checking.
- Dispense controlled drugs for ward stock and named patients, following all relevant SOPs and legal requirements.
- Support clinical team with patient own drug (POD) checking and ordering medicines
Working for our organisation
We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes
We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff
We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.
Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services
Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients
We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.
Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Recent experience of working within Pharmacy practice
- Experience in dealing with patients, the general public and multidisciplinary healthcare colleagues
- Demonstrated experience of multi-disciplinary working within a team
- Use of computers
- Working with patient identifiable and/or commercially sensitive information
- Experience of multi-organisational/partnership working
- Understanding of the need for delivering a cost effective service
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working within a hospital pharmacy or other relevant clinical/operational environment
- Experience of leading a team and responsibility for training, developing and appraising a team
- Experience of service development across a range of deliverables and monitoring compliance/progress
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- NVQ LEVEL 2 in Pharmacy Service Skills
- Basic Secondary Education – GCSE or equivalent English & Maths
Applicant requirements
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Courtney Howlett
- Job title
- Lead Pharmacy Technician
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07926066054
If you have problems applying, contact
- Address
-
Colchester General Hospital
- Telephone
- 07789651269
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