West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Pharmacy Assistant - Aseptic Services

The closing date is 06 March 2026

Job summary

This is a great opportunity to develop your pharmacy career and make a real difference to the lives of those who use our service.

Our patients are at the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to delivering the best quality and safest care to local communities and need dedicated and skilled people to help us achieve this.

The majority of your time will be spent within the aseptic unit preparing chemotherapy and monoclonal therapy for the Trusts cancer patients.

Time will also be spent supporting the dispensary team and distribution team with the supply of medicine to wards and departments, inpatients and outpatients.

As a candidate you will have a genuine passion for patient care. You will be committed and dedicated and have a desire to work as part of a friendly and supportive team in a fast-paced environment.

This post will support your career and skills development. All aseptic training will be given in house if you have no previous experience.

Main duties of the job

You will be responsible for the preparation and supply of patient intravenous cancer treatments within the Trust. The treatments will be aseptically prepared in isolators using aseptic technique and Good Manufacturing Practice.

All supportive oral medication will also be supplied by yourself.

You will also be expected to use your dispensing skills to help in dispensary and ward distribution. This will allow you to use the skills you acquired as part of your NVQ level 2 qualifications.

Please refer to the detailed job description for key tasks.

About us

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?

Details

Date posted

20 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

179-7811150-C

Job locations

West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Hardwick Lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description for further details around the main responsibilities of the job role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description for further details around the main responsibilities of the job role.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

  • NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services, or equivalent

Experience and knowledge

Essential

  • Experience of working in a pharmacy environment.

Desirable

  • Experience of working in an aseptic compounding unit.
  • Experience of working in a hospital environment.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Able to deal with members of the public and other health care workers in a professional manner.
  • Close liaison with co-workers in the department is vital.
  • Able to make decisions independently.
  • Evidence of self-motivated professional development.
  • Attention to detail.

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • Good team member.
  • Good communications skills (both verbal and written).
  • Ability to work in an organised and calm fashion in a busy environment.
  • Ability to work to deadlines and to meet agreed objectives.
  • A flexible approach to working hours and duties.
  • Occupational Health Clearance to meet the demands of the role.
  • Positive approach towards personal / self-development.
  • Familiar with standard IT software.
Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

  • NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services, or equivalent

Experience and knowledge

Essential

  • Experience of working in a pharmacy environment.

Desirable

  • Experience of working in an aseptic compounding unit.
  • Experience of working in a hospital environment.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Able to deal with members of the public and other health care workers in a professional manner.
  • Close liaison with co-workers in the department is vital.
  • Able to make decisions independently.
  • Evidence of self-motivated professional development.
  • Attention to detail.

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • Good team member.
  • Good communications skills (both verbal and written).
  • Ability to work in an organised and calm fashion in a busy environment.
  • Ability to work to deadlines and to meet agreed objectives.
  • A flexible approach to working hours and duties.
  • Occupational Health Clearance to meet the demands of the role.
  • Positive approach towards personal / self-development.
  • Familiar with standard IT software.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Address

West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Hardwick Lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QZ


Employer's website

https://www.wsh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Address

West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Hardwick Lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QZ


Employer's website

https://www.wsh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Specialist Pharmacy Technician Aseptic Services

Shaun Chaplin

shaun.chaplin@wsh.nhs.uk

01284713942

Details

Date posted

20 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

179-7811150-C

Job locations

West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Hardwick Lane

Bury St Edmunds

IP33 2QZ


Supporting documents

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