Pharmacy Support Worker (Higher Level): Cancer Services

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS pension plan

27 days holiday + bank holidays

Employee health and wellbeing services

Cycle to work scheme

Car lease salary sacrifice scheme

Flexible working options

Job summary

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust in Wakefield area is recruiting a Cancer Services Pharmacy Support Worker to support safe, efficient medicines use across inpatient and chemotherapy day units. You will label, dispense, and supply prescriptions, assist with medicines reconciliation, and help implement improvements.

You will work with pharmacists, ward staff, and patients to reduce waste, maintain records, and support training.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services (or equivalent) required.
• Experience working in a pharmacy dispensary, NHS or community, is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Label, dispense, and supply prescriptions accurately.
• Assist with medicines reconciliation and manage patients’ own medicines.
• Support safe storage and handling of medicines on wards.
• Participate in audits, service improvements, and staff training.
• Assist with weekend/bank holiday/late-night rotas as required.

Education

NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services

Job description

Tracey Keys: Lead Pharmacist Cancer Services

[e-mail]

Please note we may close this application early.

About The Role

Are you passionate about supporting patients and making a real difference in cancer care? We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic Cancer Services Pharmacy Support Worker to join our Medicines Optimisation team. In this rewarding role, you will contribute to the safe, efficient, and cost-effective delivery of pharmacy services across the Trust, supporting patients, wards, and departments with their medicines needs. You will be responsible for accurately labelling, dispensing, and supplying prescriptions, assisting with the implementation of service improvements, and helping to ensure the highest standards of patient care. You will also play an important role in supporting and training healthcare professionals within the Medicines Optimisation team, helping to drive excellence and continuous improvement in cancer pharmacy services. This is an excellent opportunity to develop your skills within a specialist area while making a meaningful impact on patient outcomes

Main duties

The Cancer Services Pharmacy Support Worker will play a vital role in supporting the safe and effective use of medicines across inpatient and the chemotherapy day units across the trust. Key responsibilities include obtaining and documenting medication information from patients, supporting medicines reconciliation, assessing and managing patients’ own medicines, and ensuring timely access to medication to avoid missed doses. The post holder will provide support the safe storage and handling of medicines on wards, and contribute to reducing medicines waste through effective stock and returns management. The role also involves dispensing a wide range of medicines, including discharge prescriptions, specialist medicines, oral chemotherapy, and controlled drugs, while maintaining accurate records and complying with all relevant legislation and Trust procedures. The post holder will work closely with pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, ward staff, patients, and carers to support high-quality patient care, identify and address medicine supply issues, and ensure effective communication across the multidisciplinary team. In addition, the successful candidate will contribute to staff training and development, participate in audits and service improvement activities, maintain their own professional development, and support the delivery of pharmacy services through participation in weekend, bank holiday, and late-night rotas as required

Essential Person Specification Requirements

We are looking for a candidate who possesses an NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services (or equivalent) and a good standard of education, particularly in Maths, English, and Science. Applicants should have previous experience working in a pharmacy dispensary environment (NHS or community pharmacy) and experience interacting with patients or customers in a busy setting. The successful candidate will demonstrate knowledge of dispensing procedures, excellent literacy and numeracy skills, and strong attention to detail. They will be able to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team, prioritise workloads effectively, and follow established procedures accurately. Confidence in handling complex medicine names, using computer systems, and communicating clearly with patients and healthcare professionals is essential. Candidates must have a caring and professional approach, with the ability to deal sensitively with patients who may be unwell or distressed. They should also be physically able to undertake ward-based duties, including transporting medicines and accessing stock, while maintaining a consistently helpful, organised, and patient-focused attitude. Please see the job description for essential and desirable criteria

Be part of MY team

We are an acute trust caring for over one million people in Wakefield and Kirklees. Our 10,000 staff work in patients' homes, the community, and our three hospitals in Pontefract, Dewsbury, and Pinderfields (Wakefield). We prioritise our people and values so we can deliver the best possible care to patients. Our team is friendly, passionate, and innovative, always seeking better ways to work. We support work-life balance and foster a diverse, inclusive environment where everyone belongs. Our staff networks offer safe spaces to share ideas and concerns so we can increase awareness and appreciation of equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and especially encourage members of the LGBTQ+ community, ethnic minority groups, and people with disabilities or neurodivergence to apply, as they are currently underrepresented in the Trust. If you value caring, high standards, improvement, and respect, join the MY team to make a difference every day

Application Guidance

We understand that more applicants are using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help with their applications. While these tools can be useful, they cannot fully capture your skills, knowledge, and experience. It's important that you personalise your application. Relying solely on AI is not recommended, as it may reduce your chances of success. Our screening process is thorough, so if you have used AI, please make sure to disclose this on your application form

Application Tips

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Our Benefits

• Access to the NHS pension plan
• Generous holiday allowance of 27 days plus bank holidays, increasing with 5 and 10 years of service
• Exceptional employee health and wellbeing services
• Extensive benefits and support, including:
• Onsite nurseries and childcare salary sacrifice scheme
• Home electronics scheme
• Cycle to work scheme - subject to eligibility criteria
• Car lease salary sacrifice scheme - subject to eligibility criteria
• Working carers support and advice, carers network and carers passport
• Flexible working options and family and carer-friendly policies
• Established staff networks, including LGBTQ+ and Race Equality
• Career progression, training and support

Skilled worker sponsorship

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