Chief Technician Patient Services

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job description

Job Summary

Chief Technician Patient Services

Are you a pharmacy technician ready to step up in your career? Do you thrive in leadership and want to make a real impact on patient care?

Croydon University Hospital's Pharmacy Department is seeking a Chief Technician - Patient Services (Dispensary) to lead a skilled team in delivering a safe, efficient, and high-quality medicines supply service.

This is your chance to lead, innovate, and shape pharmacy patient services. You'll be at the heart of a fast-paced, patient-focused team, ensuring vital medicines reach those who need them.

Interview Date: 7th May 2025

Main duties of the job

1. To manage, develop and co-ordinate the technician-led Pharmacy Patient Services. Provide hands-on support for all dispensary duties, including patient counselling with the assistance of the Band 6 Deputy Dispensary Manager. Responsible for appraisals and performance review of technical staff rotating through the Pharmacy Patient Services.
2. To assist the Associate Chief Pharmacist, Operations Services in the strategic development and progress of Patient services.
3. To assist in the development and maintenance of relevant Pharmacy Patient Services policies, procedures, and guidelines.
4. To support the development of pharmacy technicians working in Pharmacy Patient Services.
5. To develop and deliver training sessions to registered health care professionals and non-registered staff within the Trust.
6. To contribute to the patient safety agenda and clinical governance through medicines management and GDP.

About Us

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust provides hospital and community services from a number of community and specialist clinics throughout Croydon. The Trust was formed on 1st August 2010 through the integration of Croydon Community Health Services and Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust. Around 4,100 staff provide services for a population of over 360,000 people who are relatively young with a high level of ethnic diversity.

Our main hospital site, Croydon University Hospital, is one of the busiest in London. We're also leading the way in providing more healthcare outside hospitals at clinics, specialist centres, and in people's homes. Our experienced district nursing teams, Allied Health Professionals, and community matrons look after people of all ages across Croydon and our Children's Hospital at Home cares for children with long-term conditions without them having to come to hospital.

Across the NHS everyone is working hard to meet growing demand and we're no exception. But with the right people on board, we are rising to this challenge, putting our people in the driving seat, encouraging innovation and transforming our services to give local people the quality of care they deserve. Croydon Health Services puts a great deal of importance on education and training throughout the careers of all of our staff. As well as offering access to a range of core skills training and professional development.

Date posted: 07 April 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 7

Salary: £51,883 to £58,544 a year

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 199-NN-7102414-AHP

Job locations: Croydon University Hospital Pharmacy Department, 530 London Road, Thornton Heath, CR7 7YE

Job Description

Responsibilities

Job responsibilities

• FOR FURTHER DETAILS REGARDING THIS POST PLEASE REFER TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

Person Specification

Qualifications

Education and Qualifications Essential

• NVQ Level 3 in pharmacy Services or equivalent
• BTEC in Pharmaceutical Science or equivalent
• Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council as a Pharmacy Technician
• Qualified NVQ Assessor to A1 standards or equivalent
• Educational Supervisor qualification or equivalent
• Practice Supervisor qualification or equivalent
• Accredited checking technician

Desirable

• Member of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians (APTUK)
• Management qualification to diploma level or equivalent experience
• NVQ Level 4 in management or equivalent, or equivalent experience in Pharmacy Management role
• Knowledge of pharmacy service procedures, including GDP, falsified medicines directive etc.
• Accredited counselling qualification
• Project Management training or qualification
• Quality Improvement training or qualification.
• Computer literacy qualification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Proven analytical and judgemental skills to resolve issues to a satisfactory resolution, considering the service user requirements, staffing resources and financial implications.
• Current experience working in a hospital, planning and organising complex activities including prioritisation of different services to a variety of service users, working dynamically and managing staff strategically to meet the changing demands of the service throughout the day.
• Experience in providing specialist clinical services and advice to patients, service users, colleagues and AHPs within the wider MDT, referring to a Pharmacist if required.
• Dispensing and final accuracy checking of medicines for patients and service users to a high level of accuracy.
• Proven ability to always work within current Pharmacy Medicines Legislation.
• Experience in writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and implementation of changing practices within a pharmacy environment to ensure best practice.
• Sound knowledge of the legal requirements (Law and Ethics) for dispensing and supplying medicines, including CDs.
• Experience as a line manager for pharmacy personnel including Pharmacy Technicians and Assistants including workload allocation, performance, recruitment lead and selection of staff, career development, sickness absence & performance management.
• In depth knowledge of relevant Human Resources policies and procedures and how to apply them consistently and effectively.
• Knowledge of the requirements of GPhC registered premises and ensure premises is always compliant.

Desirable

• Experience of management of a Pharmacy Service, including strategic workforce planning, rota writing and dynamic utilisation of staff and resources.
• Experience of implementing change in a service and/or process within Pharmacy, measuring the impact of the change and getting feedback from service users.
• Experience of organising and managing in a busy and potentially stressful environments.
• Understanding of clinical governance and implications for service including quality and audit.
• Awareness of risk management issues and how to identify and minimise these.

Skills ability and values

Essential

• Excellent customer care service.
• Good interpersonal and negotiation skills and proven assertiveness and delegation skills.
• Computer literate in programmes such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Team etc., intranet, internet and email including EPMA systems e.g. Cerner and System C (formally JAC).
• Able to train staff in dispensary practices and the pharmacy computer system and to tutor and teach trainee staff.
• Able to collect data for regular audits of performance issues e.g. TTA turnaround times and error rate monitoring.
• Able to analyse audited data and make recommendations to address any shortfalls in practice or targets.
• Excellent and effective communication and interpersonal skills, both verbal and written, to pass on complex information.
• Excellent leadership skills with evidence of being an effective team player.
• Able to work flexibly within a team whilst having the ability to supervise, direct and motivate the team.
• Able to handle conflict effectively and differences of opinions in a mature and professional manner.
• Good organisational and time management skills. Able to prioritise tasks and respond to urgent demands by diverting resources whilst managing own workload. Able to allocate duties to staff and re-allocate should priorities change.
• Able to solve problems and work calmly under pressure.

Desirable

• Self-motivated and driven to progress service provision, with ability to motivate team.
• Pharmacy systems skills including System C (previously JAC) and automated dispensing systems.
• Investigation of medication incidents.
• Innovative and able to manage change and embrace new technologies.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details

Employer name: Croydon Health Services NHS Trust

Address: Croydon University Hospital Pharmacy Department, 530 London Road, Thornton Heath, CR7 7YE

Employer's website: https://www.croydonhealthservices.nhs.uk/recruitment/