Senior Assistant Technical Officer (SATO)

Uhmb; Lancaster; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary

Generous Annual Leave

NHS Pension Scheme

Learning and Development

Job summary

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Senior Assistant Technical Officer (SATO) to join the Pharmacy team at Royal Lancaster Infirmary. The role supports the preparation and dispensing of medicines, ensuring patient safety and high standards of care across hospital wards.

The part-time position (22.5 hours weekly) includes full training to NVQ2 Pharmacy Services and progression to Band 3 upon qualification, with a rotating pattern and weekend coverage as

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent qualification.
• Previous experience in a pharmacy or healthcare setting is desirable.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to high standards of patient care.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively within a team and independently.
• A positive, can-do attitude and willingness to take on new challenges.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the preparation and dispensing of medications for patients.
• Support the technical aspects of the pharmacy service, ensuring compliance with legal and professional standards.
• Provide assistance with stock control, including ordering and stock management.
• Offer advice to other healthcare professionals and patients regarding medications.
• Supervise and mentor junior staff and trainees.
• Assist in the provision of medicines to wards and departments across the hospital.

Skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Patient care focus

Education

English and Maths GCSE grade C or above

NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services

BTEC Level 2 in Pharmacy Services (or equivalent)

Completion of a recognised OTC sales course

Job description

Senior Assistant Technical Officer (SATO)

NHS AfC : Band 3

Main area Pharmacy Grade NHS AfC : Band 3 Contract Permanent: Part Time Hours Part time - 22.5 hours per week Job ref 331-8288213-UHMB

Site Royal Lancaster Infirmary Town Lancaster Salary £25,760 - £27,476 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 09/11/2026 23:59

''Creating a great place to be cared for and a great place to work''

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay has a firm commitment to strengthening the diversity of our workforce, and therefore welcome and encourage applications from likeminded people who can support our ambition to become effortlessly inclusive. We are particularly keen to hear from protected groups – including BAME, LGBT+ and people with a disability.

Job overview

We are excited to announce an opportunity for a dedicated and motivated individual to join our Pharmacy team at Royal Lancaster Infirmary as a Senior Assistant Technical Officer (SATO). This is a key role within our pharmacy department, providing essential support in the preparation and dispensing of medicines, ensuring a high level of patient care and safety. You will work closely with our pharmacy team, helping to deliver high-quality services to patients and supporting the operational needs of the department.

Working Pattern will be Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9:00 to 17:30 with weekend and Bank Holiday work as part of a rotation.

Training role including completion of NVQ2 Pharmacy Services will be considered for applicants without this essential qualification.

Training role is paid at Band 2 in Year 1 then moved to a Band 3 upon completion of NVQ2 Pharmacy Services.

Main duties of the job

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in the preparation and dispensing of medications for patients.
• Support the technical aspects of the pharmacy service, ensuring compliance with legal and professional standards.
• Provide assistance with stock control, including ordering and stock management.
• Offer advice to other healthcare professionals and patients regarding medications.
• Supervise and mentor junior staff and trainees.
• Assist in the provision of medicines to wards and departments across the hospital.

Personal Specifications

• NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent qualification (or be willing to work towards it).
• Previous experience in a pharmacy or healthcare setting is desirable.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to high standards of patient care.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively within a team and independently.
• A positive, can-do attitude and willingness to take on new challenges.

Full training will be given to the successful applicants.

If you are passionate about delivering excellent patient care and want to make a difference within a supportive and rewarding environment, we would love to hear from you.

Working for our organisation

We operate from three main hospitals - Furness General Hospital (FGH) in Barrow, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI), and Westmorland General Hospital (WGH) in Kendal, as well as a number of community health care premises including Millom Hospital and GP Practice, Queen Victoria Hospital in Morecambe, and Ulverston Community Health Centre.

FGH and the RLI have a range of General Hospital services, with full Emergency Departments, Critical/Coronary Care units and various Consultant-led services.

WGH provides a range of General Hospital services, together with an Urgent Treatment Centre, that can help with a range of non-life threatening conditions such as broken bones and minor illnesses.

All three main hospitals provide a range of planned care including outpatients, diagnostics, therapies, day case and inpatient surgery. In addition, a range of local outreach services and diagnostics are provided from community facilities across Morecambe Bay.

Working for the NHS offers numerous benefits, including:

• Competitive Salary: NHS pay and benefits in line with the Agenda for Change Band 3 salary scale.
• Generous Annual Leave: 27 days of annual leave plus 8 public holidays, with the opportunity to increase this with length of service.
• Pension Scheme: A competitive NHS pension scheme for your financial security.
• Learning and Development: Excellent opportunities for training, career progression, and further education. We support and encourage continuous professional development.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay visiting our website https://www.uhmb.nhs.uk/

Person specification

Education and qualifications

• English and Maths GCSE grade C or above
• NVQ and Btec level 2 in Pharmacy Services
• Completion of a recognised OTC sales course

Experience

• Experience in hospital pharmacy or other Pharmacy Setting
• Experience in dispensing medications, drugs receipt, record keeping and cold chain maintenance

PLEASE NOTE THAT SHORTLISTED APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED BY EMAIL.

Internal only posts are only open to employees of UHMBT and this does not include employees of OneLSC working in our hospitals.

The Trust promotes flexible working opportunities where ever possible to enable staff to balance their work and home life. We are committed to Equal Opportunities and aim to be EffortlesslyInclusive .

The trust operates a No Smoking Policy. Only those applicants who demonstrate clearly how they meet our Person Specification will be shortlisted for Interview. We reserve the right to close a job advert early where sufficient applications have been received. The Trust does not offer interview expenses to shortlisted candidates unless indicated in the advert If the post is subject to Disclosure & Barring Service checking, there is a charge of £41.00 for Enhanced and £20.00 for Standard & Basic clearance and additional to this a £4.90 administration fee will be made to the successful candidate(s). This currently only applies to roles Band 6 and above and Medical & Dental posts.

Anyone newly appointed to the trust under the Agenda For Change contract, will be subject to the completion of a satisfactory 4 month probationary period. This will give the new staff member an opportunity to become familiar with the role and working environment.

We have introduced a new system called Pre-Onboarding, specifically to support you right the way through to your first few months in your new role with us atUHMB. This bespoke site has lots of useful information to help you settle into your new roleincluding: what to expect from the recruitment clearances process, where to get a uniform, when you'll get paid etc. As well as information on a number of our services i.e. Infection Prevention, Anti-fraud, Inclusion and Diversity, Care Certificates and much more. To access click on this link https://www.uhmb.nhs.uk/uhmbt-pre-onboarding .

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.