Employer 279 University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal Sussex County Hospital Town Brighton Salary £24,937 - £26,598 Per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 28/08/2025 23:59
Senior Pharmacy Assistant (Specialised Gastroenterology)
Band 3
About our Trust
At UHSussex we’re proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK’s largest acute Trusts, we’re a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.
Our hard-working, talented and dedicated people work together towards a common goal – to always put our Patient First. In fact our mission is summed up by our ‘where better never stops’ motto and you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex.
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in ourWellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Job overview
We are looking for an enthusiastic, innovative pharmacy assistant to join the specialist gastroenterology pharmacy team to support the running and development of our service.
Our service covers the exciting areas of auto-immune diseases and viral infections of the gut. These specialties are expanding and pushing new boundaries for management and how pharmacy can be involved. Our pharmacy service is used as examples of excellent practice and has work published nationally.
Applicants must have passes in GCSE (or equivalent) in Maths and English, successfully completed level 2 NVQ and be IT literate.
The role will be mainly based at RSCH-Brighton site and part-time hours need to ensure appropriate cover within the team, but both can be discussed with employer contact.
Main duties of the job
To support the running of the specialist gastroenterology pharmacy service by assisting with the helpline (queries from patients, carers and healthcare professionals), clinic running, homecare prescribing, multi-disciplinary team running, and medication provision (including dispensing). Project support work will be key, covering governance, finance and service development.
Duties will require a combination of both working with others and working autonomously.
All duties will be fully supported with training, and once trained, we would enable the successful candidate to also mentor others. Training will cover both processing and clinical aspects as required.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in ourWellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
* Assists gastro pharmacy helpline triage, including dealing with appropriate queries autonomously.
* Assists gastro pharmacy team with pre- and post-clinic activities.
* Assists gastro pharmacy team blood monitoring service, working with trained team members.
* To have responsibility for efficient and effective internal homecare processing to enable delivery and financial deadlines.
* To facilitate smooth running of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) multi-disciplinary team (MDT), meeting including pre-meeting organisation and post-meeting follow-up.
* Provides essential support in communications with both internal and external stakeholders. Resolves discrepancies and provides advice and assistance with queries when required.
* Medication ordering and dispensing of in-patient, out-patient and discharge prescriptions within the dispensary, outpatient clinics and ward level.
* Assists the Principal Pharmacy Technician in prescription management and running of the IBD infusion clinic to ensure best use of high-cost drugs.
* Assists the specialist gastro pharmacy team with governance document development (e.g. SOPs), financial processes (including services such as Blueteq or equivalent) and service development initiatives.
* To use appropriate databases, ensuring accurate completion and appropriate content, plus support workload audit and management audits.
* Be competent and accredited for dispensary roles.
* The ideal candidate will have experience in pharmacy and specialist MDT processes, demonstrate a proactive approach to problem-solving, excellent organisational skills, and the ability to work independently under minimal supervision.
* The candidate will mentor junior staff, facilitating their development towards advanced roles within the department.
Person specification
Qualifications
* GSCE (or equivalent) Maths
* Pharmacy experience
* MDT experience
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
* Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
* Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria.For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications
Further Information
For help with the application process for Nursing vacancies, please email uhsussex.nursingteam@nhs.net.
For help with the application process for Non-Nursing vacancies, please email uhsussex.nonnursingteam@nhs.net.
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 Fiona Rees Job title Consultant Pharmacist-Specialist Gastroenterology Email address fiona.rees2@nhs.net Telephone number 01273 696955 Additional information
Please use email as contact.
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