Foundation Pharmacist/Specialist Pharmacist

NHS; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Newcastle upon Tyne seeks a Foundation Pharmacist/Specialist Pharmacist to join their clinical pharmacy team. The role offers the opportunity to gain extensive experience across various settings and develop essential skills through structured training. Candidates must have a qualifying MPharm degree and be registered with GPhC. This position also involves participating in a transitional Band 6 to 7 programme designed to facilitate career progression in the pharmacy sector.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Opportunities for professional development

Comprehensive benefits package

Qualifications

• Registered pharmacist with GPhC, or currently undertaking UK pre-registration training.
• Demonstrable evidence of competence in general clinical practice and specialty.
• Significant post-registration experience in hospital pharmacy.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to patient-focused medicines optimization.
• Develop a portfolio demonstrating workplace-based competencies.
• Rotate through various clinical settings for diverse experience.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Time management

Ability to apply theoretical knowledge

Ability to supervise others

Education

MPharm degree or equivalent

Registered pharmacist with GPhC

Job description

Go back The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Foundation Pharmacist/Specialist Pharmacist

The closing date is 18 January 2026

The Directorate of Pharmacy within Newcastle Hospitals covers the broadest range of pharmacy activities within the North of England. Pharmacists within our Trust work into a variety of settings including inpatient care, outpatient clinics, GP practices & integrated care, medicines information, advanced therapies, quality assurance and our licensed production unit (aseptics). We work closely with local universities and Health Education England to support the development of pharmacy, medical and nursing staff and trainees. Our close relationship with Newcastle University's School of Pharmacy offers further academic and research opportunities.

We would like to invite applications from enthusiastic and motivated clinical pharmacists wishing to join the Newcastle Hospitals' Post-Registration Foundation Pharmacist Programme. We welcome applications from both qualified pharmacists and Foundation Trainee Pharmacists, with an anticipated start date of August 2026.

Foundation trainee pharmacists who are anticipating a qualification date of January 2027; should wait and apply in the next cohort.

Main duties of the job

Successful applicants will be team-players with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and a keen willingness to learn and enhance their professional development. They will be given a unique opportunity to gain experience in a wide range of clinical settings and specialities, of which many are tertiary referral. We also offer opportunities to rotate through the local mental health trust and our integrated primary care hub.

The Newcastle Hospitals' Foundation Pharmacist Programme is built on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's post-registration Foundation Curriculum. Each clinically-focused placement is accompanied by structured learning and is supported by a specialist clinical pharmacist practice supervisor, ensuring that our pharmacists are given the best opportunities to develop a solid foundation of clinical knowledge and skills as they progress through their training.

About us

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:

• Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
• Freeman Hospital
• Newcastle Dental Hospital
• Newcastle Fertility Centre
• Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
• Northern Genetics Service

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Job responsibilities

Our department has undergone significant transformation within the past 12 months following appointment of a new Chief Pharmacist and a restructuring within the senior leadership team of our clinical services. Our clinical services have secured significant investment, allowing us to expand our clinical services, create new posts and support career progression for our staff.

Transitional Band 6 to 7 Programme

In 2026; our clinical services will launch our novel Foundation Pharmacist (FP) Transitional Band 6 to 7 Programme.

FPs will develop a portfolio of evidence demonstrating workplace-based achievement of locally prioritised learning outcomes from the most recent RPS early careers pharmacist curriculum. The portfolios will be reviewed by sufficiently qualified independent reviewers who will make an outcome recommendation for each foundation pharmacist. Successful portfolio submissions will then allow individuals to transition across to a band 7 role and continue to rotate throughout our specialities. It is anticipated that it will take a minimum of 18 months to compile the information for the portfolio and there will be fixed submission points during the year.

All newly qualified pharmacists do not join our on-call rota for their first year of qualification and spend the first 10-12 months of their band 6 role in a training role building up to joining the on call rota.

All our newly qualified pharmacists are given the option of working a compressed week of 4 days, with a full day off every week (the day off varies week by week). The pharmacists contribute to the late shift rota, working on site; shadowing and supporting the on call pharmacist; getting exposure to the problems that arise out of hours and supporting any out-of-hours dispensing.

The pharmacists also work weekends either at the Freeman Hospital or Royal Victoria Infirmary working alongside senior pharmacists in the dispensary, on the wards clinically or on the assessment suite.

Pharmacists join our on-call rota after their first year of qualifying / being a foundation pharmacist. Pharmacists who are already qualified and have experience of working elsewhere will be able to join the on-call rota at this point.

Our on-call rota runs with a minimum of 30 pharmacists on it; and is made up of a combination of band 6 and band 7 pharmacists.

Pharmacists undertake one night of on-call at a time. All on-call shifts are followed by a full-rest day off. In addition to this, everyone is paid at an enhanced rate at the top of a band 7 for all disturbances throughout the on-call shift.

Pharmacists have the option of staying in accommodation on site during on-call shifts.

We offer flexible working options to all our staff including different options of compressed shift patterns such as 9 day fortnights.

The recruitment days are face to face and will be held over 4 days between Tuesday 27th January and Friday 30th January in our training facility within Eldon Court in the centre of Newcastle.

The recruitment days are organised so that applicants take part in a group activity in the morning and then a one-to-one interview in the afternoon. Lunch is provided after the group activity alongside a presentation about the foundation training programme we offer, and the opportunity to meet fellow pharmacists who are currently working as part of our team during a departmental tour. Due to the nature of the assessments, remote / online interviews are not possible.

You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Person Specification

Meets All Band 6 Criteria

• Evidence of continuing education, self-directed learning & fulfilling GPhC requirements for CPD
• Sound knowledge of pharmacy resources and application to evidence-based practice
• Alignment with NuTH values and the departmental vision
• Competence in delivery of dispensary services
• Demonstrates eagerness to undertake a higher academic qualification / Foundation programme training
• Good time management
• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to apply theoretical knowledge in practical situations
• Sufficient relevant experience to provide patient-focussed medicines optimisation
• MPharm degree (or equivalent) & registered pharmacist with GPhC (or currently undertaking UK pre-registration training)
• Awareness of current developments in the NHS and hospital pharmacy
• Supervision of others
• Experience of audit work / research
• Hospital-based pre-registration year

Meets All Band 7 Criteria

• Demonstrable evidence of competence in general clinical practice
• Demonstrable evidence of competence in speciality
• Demonstrate the ability to appropriately recommend, substantiate and communicate therapeutic options
• Ability to communicate in a verbal or written manner with patients, junior pharmacy, nursing, medical, and other multidisciplinary staff
• Ability to influence junior pharmacy, nursing, medical, and other multidisciplinary staff
• Demonstrated commitment to enhancing the quality of patient care
• Significant post registration experience in hospital pharmacy
• Experience of working in a hospital environment
• Demonstrable post-graduate experience in pharmacy
• Experience of working with specialist patient cohort
• UK-registered pharmacist (GPhC)
• Completion of MPharm degree (or an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy with relevant experience) plus pre-registration training and experience
• Registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council
• Postgraduate qualification in clinical pharmacy, or satisfactory evidence of equivalent competence as demonstrated in a practice portfolio of evidence
• Teaching skills
• Ability to utilise presentation, spreadsheet and database software packages to support the work of the clinical pharmacy team
• Experience of working within specialist area
• Evidence of involvement in clinical audit
• Clinical Diploma / Clinical Masters
• Registered with the GPhc as an independent prescriber

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.

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust