Apprenticeship-Trainee Pharmacy Technician
NHS AfC: Band 4
Main area Pharmacy Grade NHS AfC: Band 4 Contract Fixed term: 2 years (End Date: September 2028) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 361-7747102
Site Lister Hospital Town Stevenage Salary £21,113 - £22,622 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 03/03/2026 23:59 Interview date 12/03/2026
Here at East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust
Our mission is:
Providing high-quality, compassionate care for our communities
Our vision to 2030 is:
To be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service
Our values - We want our staff to believe in, demonstrate and live our values in everything we do. Our values are:
Include
We value the diversity and experience of our community colleagues and partners, creating relationships and climates that provide an opportunity to share, collaborate and grow together.
Respect
We create a safe environment where we are curious of the lived experience of others, seek out best practice and are open to listening and hearing new ideas.
Improve
We are committed to consistently delivering excellent services and continuously looking to improve through a creative workforce that feels empowered to act in service of our shared purpose.
Job overview
We are recruiting for an Apprenticeship - Trainee Pharmacy Technician who shares our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients.
We can offer you a fantastic chance to ‘EARN WHILE YOU LEARN’ within our friendly Pharmacy Department.
The work is interesting and varied and you will gain skills in all areas of pharmacy including dispensing prescriptions, medicines reconciliation and counselling patients. You will work towards completing an accuracy checking of prescribed items competency as well as ward-based competencies.
The successful candidate will be employed on a 2 year fixed term contract and will be sponsored to work towards the Level 4 Higher Education Certificate in Pharmacy Technician Practice provided by the University of East Anglia (UEA).
Salary (based on 2026 pay rates) year 1 = £21,113, year 2 = £22,622.
You will need a minimum of 5 GCSEs grade 4 or above (or equivalent) which must include Maths, English, Chemistry and Biology (double science accepted).
*Applicants must meet apprenticeship funding requirements. Proof of GCSEs/equivalent will need to be shown in interview*
*Please note post will not start until September 2026*
At the heart of everything we do are our core values: Include, Respect, and Improve. We encourage you to embrace these values throughout the recruitment process and in your role with us.
Main duties of the job
You will be required to attend network study days approximately every 5 weeks. Successful completion of the qualification will enable you to work as a qualified registered Pharmacy Technician.
To undertake Level 4 Higher Education Certificate in Pharmacy Technician Practice to become a qualified registered Pharmacy Technician with the GPhC (General Pharmaceutical Council) ensuring all deadlines are met.
Prepare and dispense medicinal products.
Assist in the pharmacy ‘Topping up’ service supplying medicinal products to wards and departments.
Complete the accuracy checking accreditation to final check prescription items once qualified and registered with the GPhC.
To complete medicines reconciliation competencies: checking patient’s own medications for suitability, ordering patient specific medications, providing patient counselling and confirming patient’s drug history.
To participate in the Saturday, Sunday, late night and Bank Holiday rotas.
*Please note course provider may be subject to change due to current changes in legislation*
Working for our organisation
At East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general & specialist services we provide & our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible & innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.
We run the following hospitals:
* The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
* New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
* Hertford County, Hertford
We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation; our staff & patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.
We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. Employees are entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns & we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made & considered formally, & will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification applicant pack for further detailed information regarding this role.
Person specification
Qualifications/Training
* 5 GCSEs/or equivalent at grade 4 or above (must include Mathematics, English Language and Science)
* Ability to complete the Higher Education Certificate in Pharmacy Technician Practice in 21 months ready for End Point Assessment (EPA)
* NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services or equivalent
Previous Experience
* Pharmacy experience (hospital or community)
* Experience of training others
* Previous experience of working towards and meeting deadlines
Skills
* Accuracy and attention to detail
* Good team player
* Good communicator (written and verbal)
* Able to use initiative
* Good time management
* Ability to work under pressure
* Flexible
Knowledge
* Awareness of Pharmacy Technician job role
Other Requirements
* Understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion
* Role model our Trust values every day
* Meets apprenticeship funding requirements
When you apply...
Please note we do not offer visa sponsorship for roles unless clearly stated in our adverts. This means even if you have the right to work currently but will require a new sponsorship to work for our Trust your application will not be considered.
Vacancies may close earlier than the advertised closing date where a high volume of applications are received. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid missing out on the opportunity to join the Trust or develop your career with us.
While we recognise that AI can support in drafting an application, you are encouraged to clearly demonstrate your personal skills, experience and behaviours that align with the role, and this is usually best done in your own words. We reserve the right to review all applications for the use of AI tools and where this is inconsistent with our values and standards of behaviour your application may be rejected
All correspondence relating to vacancies will be via the e-mail address you have provided on your application form. Some servers automatically send e-mails to your junk mail so please check as well as your inbox.
Committed to our Community
East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion for all job applicants, staff, patients and the wider community. We want to create a workforce which represents the communities we serve. We are on a journey to become a more inclusive organisation and we welcome applications from everyone regardless of their background. In particular we encourage applications from candidates with disabilities, and candidates from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who are currently under-represented in various parts of our workforce.
We understand the importance of balancing work and home life. We are committed to support flexible working for our staff wherever possible and all our employees are given the opportunity to discuss potential for flexible working.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and achieved our status in 2019.
We will remove barriers that prospective candidates might face at any stage of our recruitment process. If you have a disability and would like the advert in an alternative format, or would like to talk about how we can adjust the interview process to best support you, please contact us by emailing resourcing.enh-tr@nhs.net.
We are also proud to support our UK armed forces by supporting Reservists, Cadet Instructors, Veterans and military spouses/partners into employment and offering supportive policies that value their contribution to the community and to our Trust.
We are committed to being a carer-friendly environment, addressing the complex needs of families with caring responsibilities. In partnership with Carers in Hertfordshire, all our working carers have access to support from recruitment. We are also a member of Carers UK, providing resources to make balancing work and caring easier. Our approach is inclusive, recognising diverse challenges and creating a supportive environment where carers feel valued.
King's Trust Support
If you’re aged between 16 and 30 years-old, you can get FREE employability support from The King’s Trust. The King’s Trust will help build your CV and cover letter, offer advice and top tips for future interviews and support you with research about working in the NHS. Please contact Enquiries.H&SC@princes-trust.org.uk for support.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Name Emily Mitchell Job title Pharmacy Technician Specialist, Education Training Email address emilymitchell@nhs.net Telephone number 01438284032
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