Foundation trainee pharmacists

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in Newcastle upon Tyne seeks Foundation Pharmacists to participate in a comprehensive training programme designed to enhance clinical skills through hands-on experience in diverse healthcare settings. The role offers a unique opportunity to develop a portfolio for transitioning to a Band 7 position and includes a flexible working arrangement. Successful candidates will join a supportive team focused on delivering high-quality patient care and will work in state-of-the-art facilities.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Career progression opportunities

Training and development support

Qualifications

• Successful candidates must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• They must demonstrate a keen willingness to learn and enhance their professional development.

Responsibilities

• Participate in the Foundation Pharmacist Programme with clinical placements.
• Develop a portfolio for the Band 6 to 7 transition.
• Contribute to patient care through various hospital services.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Willingness to learn

Education

Pharmacy degree

Job description

Overview

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. Opportunities to rotate through the local mental health trust and our integrated primary care hub.

Program

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.

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 the 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.

Year 1 Foundation Pharmacist

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; gaining 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.

Our Trust

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion.

With a strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, we are in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country. As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under‑represented groups.

Sustainability

Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.

Flexible Working

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.

Locations

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

• Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
• Freeman Hospital
• Newcastle Dental Hospital
• Cramlington Manor Walks
• Urgent treatment centres
• 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.

Staff Benefits

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

Recruitment Process

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.

It is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month's pay.

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e‑mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.

Contact

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.