Rotational Pharmacist

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Swindon; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Swindon is seeking a motivated pharmacist to join a Band 6 to Band 7 progression post. This fixed-term or permanent role offers rotational clinical pharmacy duties with structured progression over 18–24 months.

You will start at Band 6, with support to gain a clinical diploma and build a portfolio aligned to the RPS Core Competency framework, progressing to Band 7 on successful development milestones.

Qualifications

• GPhC registration or eligibility
• Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent
• Post graduate clinical certificate or equivalent
• Active involvement with professional bodies (RPS)
• Willingness to undertake further training and development

Responsibilities

• Provide a clinical pharmacy service to wards with guidance on safe, effective and economical drug use.
• Rotational clinical ward cover across multiple specialties (surgery, cardiology, respiratory, etc.).
• Medicines information and patient helpline rotation.
• Responsible pharmacist duties within the dispensary.
• Support progression to higher band through structured development and portfolio evidence.

Skills

Clinical pharmacy

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Clinical reasoning

Portfolio of evidence

Education

Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent

Post graduate clinical certificate

Job description

Main area Pharmacy Grade Band 6 to 7 Progression Post Contract Fixed Term / Permanent posts available Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (On-call duties, Late night, weekend and bank holiday rota) Job ref 249-8200142

Employer Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Great Western Hospital Town Swindon Salary £39,959 - £56,515 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 23/09/2026 23:59

Band 6 to 7 Progression Post

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a unique organisation, serving as the sole integrated provider in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire system. Our scope extends beyond boundaries as we oversee adult community services in Swindon and provide acute care from the Great Western Hospital.

Our 5,500 staff have 1.2m patient contacts a year, with 13,000 operations carried out in our Theatres, around 4,000 babies born, and our emergency attendances are now well over 100,000 per year. Those numbers only tell part of our story about what an exciting time it is to join Great Western Hospitals.

We are cultivating a culture that fosters our ambitions, prioritising equality, diversion, inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership. We aim to create an environment where every member of our team can truly thrive.

Job overview

Rotational Pharmacist - Band 6 to 7 Progression Post

Are you an ambitious, motivated pharmacist, striving to continuously improve patient care and experience, this position is for you! We have an exciting opportunity to join our established team of pharmacists in post that offers structured progression from a Band 6 to Band 7 position within an 18-24 month period.

Newly or recently qualified pharmacists will begin at a Band 6 level which will provide you with a solid foundation in all the essential areas of hospital pharmacy. We will support you to gain funding for a clinical diploma and help you to build a portfolio aligned to the RPS Post Registration Core Competency Framework. On completion of well-defined developmental gateways and submission of a portfolio of evidence, you will progress to a Band 7 pharmacist.

During your foundation rotations, you will have the opportunity to work with our external partners including Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP) and later, progressing to more specialist rotations such as in critical care, paediatrics, local neonatal unit (LNU) and HIV medicines supply.

Main duties of the job

• To provide a clinical pharmacy service to wards including information and advice on the safe, effective and economical use of drugs to health professionals and patients.
• Clinical ward cover on a rotational basis in the following areas: surgery, cardiology, respiratory, gastroenterology, elderly care, acute admissions and mental health (AWP).
• Medicines Information and patient line rotation.
• Responsible Pharmacist duties within the dispensary.
• Embarking on further training to support progression i.e., clinical diploma, independent prescribing.
• Maintaining a personal portfolio of evidence.
• Following the band 6 – 7 transitional programme and completing relevant tasks associated.

Working for our organisation

We are proud to be part of BSW Hospitals Group – a formal partnership between Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. With a combined workforce of over 17, 600 colleagues, and budget of 1.6 billion the Group is united by a common purpose to deliver the best possible care to over 1 million people.

We are creating a health and care system that works with the people we care for, reducing the differences people currently face in access, experience and outcomes, improving the experience of our colleagues and tackling shared challenges like sustainability and finances. Every improvement we make across our Group will be guided by what creates the greatest benefit for our colleagues, our patients, our communities and our partners.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Medicines Information and patient helpline rotation
• Responsible Pharmacist duties within the dispensary
• Embarking on further training to support progression i.e., clinical diploma, independent prescribing
• Maintaining a personal portfolio of evidence
• Following the band 6 – 7 transitional programme and completing relevant tasks associated

Qualifications

• Member of General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Willingness to undertake further training to further professional development
• Masters Degree in Pharmacy or equivalent
• Attending relevant local and national training events/courses, keeping professionally up to date
• Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPS)
• Post graduate clinical certificate, primary care pathway qualification or equivalent

Experience

• Understanding of medicines supply process within NHS hospital
• Evidence of participating in audit and quality improvement
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team
• Demonstrable knowledge of pharmacology and ability to apply to patient care
• Evidence of using clinical reasoning and appropriate judgement to make decisions / problem solve
• Ability to prioritise own work and manage time appropriately to meet deadlines
• Experience organising and motivating oneself and others
• Experience as a hospital pharmacist
• Experience mentoring and/or supervising others
• Experience of recognising opportunities for change, innovation and quality improvement
• Experience of delivering training

Certificate of Sponsorship - Sponsorship can only be offered where the role meets the relevant eligibility criteria, including minimum salary requirements. Please note that not all roles within the organisation are eligible for sponsorship. Eligibility for this role includes:

• Current right to work in the UK, subject to verification

Meeting the Skilled Worker visa criteria, where applicable

From 4 April 2024, UK immigration policy changes increased the minimum salary levels required for Skilled Worker visas. Further information is available on the UK Visas and Immigration website.

Current employees should be aware that this position is advertised as a Great Western Hospitals position and appointment ends any TUPE protection.

Candidates are responsible for covering the cost of their own DBS check if required: £21.50 for a Standard DBS check, recoverable from the first pay, or £49.50 for an Enhanced DBS check, divided and recoverable over the initial two pay periods. Payment for DBS checks for bank posts must be settled prior to commencement. Apprentices are exempt from DBS payment.

We are committed to supporting our staff in achieving a healthy work-life balance through flexible work arrangements. Upon joining the Trust, you have the right to request flexible working, with an unlimited number of requests allowed.

Upon acceptance of a job offer, your information will be transferred to the national NHS Electronic Staff Records System. All communication regarding your application will be conducted via email; please ensure to check your junk/spam folders as emails may occasionally be filtered there.

The Trust is a Disability Confident Employer; all applicants who have a disability can opt to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme, which means that, providing they meet the minimum essential criteria for the post, they will be offered an interview. We are also proudly accredited as a Veteran Aware organisation and have signed The Armed Forces Covenant.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.