Pharmacy Assistant - Pharmacy Technical Services (PSU)

Job description

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

Barts Health supports the Pregnancy Loss Pledge and commits to supporting their staff through the distress of miscarriage.

We are dedicated to being an outstanding place to work and will work with you to get the best experience. We know flexible working is not a one size fits all and will mean something different to everyone. We are inclusive, so if you are interested in flexible working, please speak to the recruiting manager.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and organised Pharmacy Assistant to join the Pharmacy Technical Services team within the Pharmacy Packing Service Unit (PSU) at Whipps Cross Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust. The postholder will support the safe, accurate and timely preparation, packaging, labelling and distribution of medicines to internal and external customers. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will contribute to stock control, accurate record keeping, quality management and maintaining Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards. The role offers opportunities to develop technical services knowledge and skills through a structured programme of learning and development. We are looking for a reliable, detail-oriented individual who can follow procedures, prioritise tasks and work effectively both independently and as part of a team, always maintaining a strong commitment to patient safety and service quality.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will undertake a range of duties within the Pre-Packing Service Unit, including packing, labelling, over-labelling and repackaging medicines, preparing products for quality control release, and completing the associated documentation accurately. Responsibilities will include receiving and storing medicines, maintaining stock security and stock levels, undertaking stock checks and environmental monitoring, processing orders using pharmacy computer systems, and supporting the distribution of medicines to internal and external hospitals. You will maintain clean, organised work areas in accordance with departmental procedures and GMP standards, comply with health and safety and data protection requirements, and report errors or quality deviations appropriately. The role also involves supporting quality improvement activities, audits and the induction and training of new staff. The successful candidate will demonstrate good communication, IT, calculation and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines and maintain accuracy when working under pressure. Flexibility to participate in weekend, bank holiday and late-duty rotas is required.

Working for our organisation

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below

Person specification

Qualifications

Desirable criteria

• GCSE • English • Maths • Science.
• NVQ QCF Level 2 in pharmacy services.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of working in a team

Desirable criteria

• Experience in customer care environment.

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Understanding of relevant legislation, e.g., Health and Safety, COSHH, Data Protection Act

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience as a Pharmacy Assistant.
• Understand issues involved in stock control.

Skills

Essential criteria

• Demonstrates the ability to work alone and as part of a team.
• Prioritise tasks accordingly.
• Good interpersonal skills
• Problem solving skills.
• Able to plan own work
• Able to perform calculations.
• Good time management skills;
• Demonstrates the ability to complete documentation accurately with attention to detail.
• Demonstrates the ability to follow all procedures and policies accurately.
• Demonstrates the ability to work under pressure and within agreed deadlines.
• IT literate and able to use Microsoft office.
• Excellent communication skills

Other

Essential criteria

• Demonstrates an understanding of person-centred care and is committed to ensuring patient needs are met through flexible service delivery.
• Remains calm under pressure.
• Demonstrates a professional attitude.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the Weshare trust values,
• DBS: Enhanced Check.

Visa Sponsorship Information

This role is subject to UK immigration requirements. Where sponsorship is required, applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for a Skilled Worker visa in accordance with current UK Visas and Immigration rules, including any salary, qualification, and role-specific requirements applicable at the time of appointment. Candidates who require sponsorship will only be considered where the post is eligible and where all sponsorship criteria can be met. Evidence of the right to work in the UK will be required before appointment. Please note that for roles employed under Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions, the High-Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) is not included when calculating the basic salary for the purposes of sponsorship.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment where staff treat one another with dignity and respect. We aim to create an equitable working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential.

As an Equal Opportunities Employer we actively support applications from individuals' who apply under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme and will process your application as appropriate.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications has been received and we regret that we are unable to provide notification if your application is unsuccessful.

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to Barts Health NHS Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Barts Health is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and to child protection. The Trust aims to ensure as far as is possible that anyone, paid or unpaid, who seeks to work in our organisation and who gains access to children, is safe to do so. As such, you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Check as part of the recruitment process if appointed to a post with direct access to children or vulnerable adults.

Barts Health promotes active travel as part of its goal to reach Net Zero. Each site is accessible by public transport and the Trust has a cycle to work scheme and some sites have Brompton Hire Pods.

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