Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician

NHS; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking enthusiastic applicants for a trainee Pharmacy Technician role at the Royal Victoria Infirmary. This fixed-term program advances toward registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and combines on-the-job learning with online college.

You will contribute to a large, integrated pharmacy department with dispensary, wards, procurement, trials, and informatics.

Qualifications

• You must have 4 GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade 4 or above including Maths and English.
• GCSEs must include Biology and Chemistry or Dual Award Science as specified.

Responsibilities

• Attend online college and build a skills-based evidence portfolio.
• Dispense and accuracy check medicines safely and effectively.
• Undertake ward-based clinical duties including medicines reconciliation and patient counselling.
• Stock control of medications.
• Rotations through Clinical Trials, Procurement, Inpatient/Outpatient dispensary and clinical areas; work at Freeman and RVI sites.
• Saturday working and late night working on a rotational basis.

Skills

Effective communication

Attention to detail

Team collaboration

Time management

Willingness to learn

Independence

Computer skills

Education

GCSEs (Maths, English, Biology or Human Biology, Chemistry)

Job description

Band 2

Main area 317 RVI Pharmacy Grade Band 2 Contract Fixed term: 2 years (01 February 2027 to 31 January 2029) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 317-2026-41-023

Site Royal Victoria Infirmary Town 317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary Salary £25,272 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 12/11/2026 23:59 Interview date 24/11/2026

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 strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, w e’re 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.

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.

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 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.

Job overview

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking enthusiastic, motivated and patient focused individuals who are passionate about developing a career as a pharmacy technician.

Our pharmacy department is one of the largest and most diverse in the region, providing a wide range of specialist services across the trust, including: Dispensary, outpatient pharmacy, ward based clinical service, informatics, pharmacy stores, procurement, homecare, clinical trials, outpatient clinics, medicines information, aseptic services and integrated care service. We are committed to embracing innovation and technology to support excellent patient care. The department operates advanced automatic robotic dispensing and stock management system, alongside Omnicell electronic cabinets, with further Trust-wide expansion planned from October 2026.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Main duties of the job

The trainee Pharmacy Technician role is both rewarding and challenging. It requires a high level of commitment, motivation and organisation to successfully balance work responsibilities, study requirements and personal commitments.

Successful trainees will be expected to meet programme deadlines, actively engage in learning opportunities, demonstrate the professional behaviours and competencies required to practice as a registered Pharmacy technician.

The trainee pharmacy technician undertakes a wide range of pharmaceutical duties under the supervision and of a pharmacy technician or pharmacist.

• Attending online college, completing set assignments within the deadlines, building a skills-based evidence portfolio.
• Dispense and accuracy check medicines safely and effectively
• Undertake ward based clinical duties which include medicines reconciliation, patient medication counselling and assembling prescriptions at ward level.
• Stock control of medications
• Rotations throughout the department including: Clinical Trials, Procurement, Inpatient/Outpatient dispensary and clinical areas. Trainees will also be expected to work at both Freeman and RVI sites.
• Saturday working and late night working on a rotational basis (approximately one each per month)

Working for our organisation

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:

• Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria

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’.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Successful candidates will undertake a comprehensive apprenticeship programme leading to a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians. This apprenticeship will provide all the skills, knowledge and practical experience required to become a pharmacy technician. Students who successfully complete the apprenticeship will be eligible to apply for registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).

The apprenticeship involves job training and a requirement to attend on-line college on day release. The course has a blended approach offering a combination of work based and distance learning with on going and end point assessments and a requirement to build a body of skills based evidence. As person-centered care is at the heart of everything we do, excellent communication skills and a professional attitude are essential. You will work closely with patients and multidisciplinary teams to ensure individuals receive the greatest possible benefit from their medicines.

Career opportunities following the completion of the apprenticeship and registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council include medicines management roles, dispensary, clinical trials, homecare, procurement, education and training, informatics, primary cae, leadership and specialist pharmacy roles. This apprenticeship provides an excellent foundation for a rewarding career within pharmacy and the NHS.

Entry Criteria:

As a minimum you must have passed 4 GCSE’s (or equivalent level) at Grade 4 or above in the following subjects: -

• Mathematics
• English Language (English Literature or English Speaking and Listening are not acceptable)
• Biology* or Human Biology
• Chemistry
  (* or Dual Award Science covering the above two science subject areas)

Please ensure that all qualifications and grades are clearly recorded in the Qualifications section of your application. Applications may be rejected if evidence of the required qualifications is not provided. If you have achieved a Dual Award Science please state “Dual Award Science” and not just “Science” as your application may be rejected.

Person specification

Qualifications & Education

• 4 GCSEs (or the equivalent level) at Grade 4 or above in the following subjects Maths; English or English Language (English Literature, or English Speaking and Listening are not acceptable); Biology* or Human Biology; or Chemistry* (*or dual award Science) NB Dual Award Applied Science at level 2 will not be acceptable)
• 4 GCSEs (or the equivalent level) at grade 5 or above in the following subjects Maths; English or English Language (English Literature, or English Speaking and Listening are not acceptable); Biology* or Human Biology; or Chemistry* (*or dual award Science) NB (Dual award Applied Science at level 2 will not be acceptable)

Knowledge & Experience

• Work experience in hospital, primary care or community pharmacy
• Experience in a customer service role

Skills & Abilities

• Effective communication
• Methodical with attention to detail
• Effective team member
• Ability to plan and prioritise own workload to meet deadlines
• Ability to learn
• Ability to work alone
• Keyboard and computer skills

Whilst Newcastle Hospitals are a forward thinking and highly innovative organisation, the use of Third-Party Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a risk to the integrity of our Recruitment & Selection processes. If you use AI, and it poses a risk to the integrity of your individual application or to the recruitment process, we may withdraw your application at any stage of the process.

Important note on completion of reference section of Application Form

All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.

Please note 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.

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 Christine Pearson Job title Lead Education and Training Technician Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0191 2821437

We welcome enquiries from prospective applicants who would like to learn more about the role and the training programme.

To arrange an informal visit or discussion please contact Christine Pearson or Lesley Peel on 0191 2821436 or alternatively e‑mail : [e-mail] or [e-mail]