Assistant Technical Officer - Distribution

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust; Whitehaven; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27-day holiday scheme

NHS Discounts

Salary Sacrifice schemes

Job summary

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting an Assistant Technical Officer – Distribution at West Cumberland Hospital, Whitehaven. The role supports the pharmacy team in distributing medicines and maintaining stock levels across the trust.

The post requires working hours of 08:30-16:30, five days per week, with permanent contract and NHS AfC Band 2. DBS checks and UK visa considerations apply as described in the posting.

Qualifications

• Teamwork and effective communication within a NHS setting.
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions accurately.
• Experience in healthcare or NHS setting is desirable.
• Proficient IT skills (EITS) and basic keyboard skills.

Responsibilities

• Undertake a top-up service to wards and departments for stock medicines.
• Prioritise requisitions and faxed orders with urgency and obtain signed authorisation.
• Assemble ward requisitions and packing for delivery, handling heavy boxes and liquids.
• Check accuracy of orders prepared by others.

Skills

Teamwork

Attention to detail

Basic keyboard skills

Microsoft Office

Education

GCSE English and Maths

NVQ 2 in pharmacy services

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Would you like to join a centre of excellence in rural and remote healthcare?

Assistant Technical Officer - Distribution

NHS AfC: Band 2

Main area 201065 WCH Pharmacy Grade NHS AfC: Band 2 Contract Permanent: 5 days per weeks (08:30 to 16:30 - Mon-Fri) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday (08:30-16:30) (37.5 hours)) Job ref 262-A-26-8262204

Site West Cumberland Hospital Town Whitehaven Salary £25,272 Per Annum Salary period Yearly Closing 06/10/2026 23:59

Job overview

The Pharmacy Department at the West Cumberland Hospital, Whitehaven has an opportunity for an enthusiastic and highly motivated person to join our team as an Assistant Technical Officer – Distribution.

The postholder will work as part of a pharmacy team of Assistant Technical Officers, Pharmacy Technicians and Pharmacists to deliver the pharmacy service across North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Trust

Main duties of the job

• Undertake a top-up service to wards and departments, ensuring a timely replacement of stock medicines.
• Prioritise all in-coming requisitions and faxed orders according to urgency, obtaining a signed authorisation before the medicines are issued from the pharmacy.
• Assemble ward requisition and top-up orders, endorsing picking note orders and packaging appropriately for delivery. This will include handling heavy boxes of fluids and enteral feeds and replenishment of liquid nitrogen flasks.
• Check for accuracy any orders assembled by other distribution staff.

Working for our organisation

At NCIC, we have an ambition to deliver outstanding healthcare services to the population of North Cumbria. The Trust is committed to creating a centre of excellence in providing rural and remote healthcare and provides a wide range of community and acute services throughout our county.

Our 5 key principles demonstrate our belief in the delivery of ‘safe, high quality care every time’:

• Being a clinically led organisation
• Quality and safety at the heart of our Trust
• A positive patient experience every time
• A great place to work
• Managing our money well

As an organisation we are serious about supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our local community and are very much focused on being an inclusive and compassionate place to work.

Across the North East and North Cumbria we are working together to deliver our ambition to be the greenest region in England by 2030. All staff are expected to support sustainability.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION :

Please see attached job description and person specification for further information regarding the role and the essential and desirable criteria required to be met by applicants.

CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP:

Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL). Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment. Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or Armed Forces Covenant and you meet all the essential criteria for a post, you will be guaranteed an interview.

Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants moving to the region for certain posts. Please see our Policy for eligiblevacancies.

AHP - Return to Practice Job Advert information.This role may be suitable for individuals Returning to Practice. Please speak to the recruiting manager for more information.

Disclosure and Barring Service:

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

The cost of the DBS must be met by the successful candidate(s) through salary deduction. DBS charges are as follows if applicable to the post:

Standard Check: £21.50 + Administration cost of £6.50 = £28.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.

Enhanced Check: £49.50 + administration cost of £6.50 = £56.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.

NCIC can offer successful future employees the following benefits:

27-day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years

NHS Discounts*

Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work*

Vivup is a free, confidential counselling and information service to assist with personal or work-related problems

*Subject to eligibility

Please ensure that you document evidence of meeting all the essential criteria in the supporting information.

Candidates who have been successfully shortlisted for interview will be asked via an email notification to log on to their Trac account to select an interview time. This will usually be within 2 weeks of the closing date.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Teamwork.
• Following verbal and written instructions
• Working in healthcare / NHS setting.
• Microsoft Office
• Stock control.
• Hospital / health or community pharmacy work.

Qualifications

• GCSE English language and mathematics, or equivalent.
• Accredited units in NVQ 2 in pharmacy services, or have achieved within 12 months.
• Essential IT skills (EITS) or equivalent.

Skills and Aptitudes

• Interpersonal skills.
• Basic keyboard skills.
• Adaptable to different situations.
• Ability to work methodically and with attention to detail at all times.
• Ability to work as part of a team or as an individual.
• Effective time management.
• Ability to multitask and prioritise work to achieve deadlines.
• Willing to carry out routine tasks in addition to tasks that may be more demanding.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Able to work accurately to SOPs

Other requirements

• Able to work across the trust.
• Flexible to cover the needs of the service.
• Available to work weekends on request.
• Motivated.
• Organised
• Flexible
• Driving licence.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

Name Natalie Peat Job title Site Operations Lead - WCH Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 01946 523585