Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

Pharmacy Assistant Technical Officer (ATO) - Rotational

The closing date is 05 January 2026

Job summary

We are currently seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and motivated Pharmacy Assistant to join and support our busy team in the Pharmacy Department at the Whittington Hospital. The post is varied, and you will be supporting the provision of pharmacy services across the trust. You will provide a professional, efficient and customer focused service following agreed departmental policies and procedures.

The successful candidate will have, good customer service and interpersonal skills, you will communicate well, you will have demonstrated ability to prioritise and organise work in order to meet deadlines, you will also have the ability to work to a high standard within the team or using your own initiative and be able to work under pressure.

You will also have the skills to input data accurately and self-check as you work. This is a vital role that requires a conscientious and methodical person who is able to keep pace with the work. There may also be a requirement for the post holder to lift and carry heavy goods.

You must have GCSEs in both Maths and English at Grade C (4) or above, or equivalent.

Do you already have the qualifications and skills that are required to undertake this role?

Why not try a varied and interesting role in hospital pharmacy?

This could be your first step into a rewarding, challenging, progressive and lifelong career pharmacy.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide support to the Professional and Technical staff within the pharmacy department, they will assist in the provision of a high-quality service to patients, trust staff, and wards / departments. The post holder will work on a rota between dispensary, distribution, and stores.

Main Duties include :-

  • Dispense and produce labels accurately for all types of prescriptions including controlled drugs in a timely manner.
  • To take part in the ward, clinic, and department top-up service.
  • To participate in the assembly and supply of stock items to wards and departments, and to record all issues using the pharmacy computer system.
  • Ensure that the dispensary is stocked with items required for dispensing (e.g., bottles, caps, cartons, paper bags).
  • To respond to straightforward enquiries from ward staff, in person or via the telephone, and to know when to refer to an appropriate member of the pharmacy team.
  • To receive goods coming into the pharmacy department including all goods for the Whittington Pharmacy Shop CIC, from external suppliers and hospital supplies department.

About us

Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.

Details

Date posted

23 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£30,074 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

220-WHT-3587

Job locations

Whittington Hospital

Magdala Avenue

London

N19 5NF


Job description

Job responsibilities

You will be required to rotate through the Dispensary, Distribution and Pharmacy Stores areas. Please see detailed Job Description and Person Specification attached.

Job description

Job responsibilities

You will be required to rotate through the Dispensary, Distribution and Pharmacy Stores areas. Please see detailed Job Description and Person Specification attached.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE English and Maths (A-C or equiv.)
  • Hold or commit to study for Pharmacy Level 2 qualification recognised by the GPhC

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Pharmacy Computer/IT skills including Microsoft programs
  • Able to communicate effectively with all grades of staff throughout the trust (verbal and written)
  • Able to communicate effectively with patients from all backgrounds and ethnic origins.
  • Able to organise and prioritise workload, and to meet pre-determined deadlines
  • Good clear and well-spoken English.
  • Effective customer service skills able to work to meet the needs of customers of the department and to meet the standards of the Trust.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage workload dealing with issues and ensure local manual handling procedures are followed.
  • Can act as a role model and participate in the training of new staff
  • Able to demonstrate ability to cope under pressure and multi-tasking correctly.

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

  • Knowledge of local health and safety, manual handling and COSHH policies
  • Awareness of the Data Protection Act

Desirable

  • Experience of working in a pharmacy environment

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • Reliable
  • Self-motivated
  • Commitment to continued personal development, and enthusiasm for extending the Assistant Technical Officer role.
  • Demonstrates initiative, motivation, and enthusiasm for the post
Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE English and Maths (A-C or equiv.)
  • Hold or commit to study for Pharmacy Level 2 qualification recognised by the GPhC

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Pharmacy Computer/IT skills including Microsoft programs
  • Able to communicate effectively with all grades of staff throughout the trust (verbal and written)
  • Able to communicate effectively with patients from all backgrounds and ethnic origins.
  • Able to organise and prioritise workload, and to meet pre-determined deadlines
  • Good clear and well-spoken English.
  • Effective customer service skills able to work to meet the needs of customers of the department and to meet the standards of the Trust.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage workload dealing with issues and ensure local manual handling procedures are followed.
  • Can act as a role model and participate in the training of new staff
  • Able to demonstrate ability to cope under pressure and multi-tasking correctly.

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

  • Knowledge of local health and safety, manual handling and COSHH policies
  • Awareness of the Data Protection Act

Desirable

  • Experience of working in a pharmacy environment

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • Reliable
  • Self-motivated
  • Commitment to continued personal development, and enthusiasm for extending the Assistant Technical Officer role.
  • Demonstrates initiative, motivation, and enthusiasm for the post

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

Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

Address

Whittington Hospital

Magdala Avenue

London

N19 5NF


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

Address

Whittington Hospital

Magdala Avenue

London

N19 5NF


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Dispensary and Distribution Manager

Sahedia Hussain

sahedia.hussain@nhs.net

02072883704

Details

Date posted

23 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 2

Salary

£30,074 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

220-WHT-3587

Job locations

Whittington Hospital

Magdala Avenue

London

N19 5NF


Supporting documents

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