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Apprentice Pre-Registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician (PTPT)

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust

Guildford, GU2 7XX £29,812 – £32,715 a year Fixed-Term Posted 13 August 2026 Apply by 13 September 2026

Home Office register entry: Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Guildford

Visa sponsorship

This role is listed by an employer that holds a live Home Office sponsor licence on the Skilled Worker route.

Closest occupation match: SOC 3212, Pharmaceutical technicians. Pay for this occupation is set by national pay scales (NHS bands), so no single Home Office going rate applies.

This occupation falls under the Health and Care Worker route. Public reference figures for that route: the general salary minimum is £25,000 a year, and salaries set by national pay scales (NHS bands) at or above the relevant band rate typically meet the occupation's requirement. Individual eligibility depends on personal circumstances. These figures are public reference information, not advice or a verdict on this job.

Role description

Job summary

2-year fixed term contract starting Feb-27

SALARY Annex 21 Band 4: 70% in year 1 increasing to 75% in year 2

Annex 21 covers trainees who enter the NHS & undertake their training whilst an employee. Annex 21 pay is determined as a percentage of the maximum qualified rate.

We are looking for highly motivated, enthusiastic & hardworking individuals to become part of the pharmacy workforce at the Royal Surrey. This Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician (PTPT) post is a 2-year fixed term contract and is for 37.5 hours/week. This is an exciting opportunity for someone interested in a pharmacy career to 'earn while they learn' in different NHS pharmacy settings whilst gaining a qualification. Individuals will complete a GPhC accredited / recognised qualification resulting in the post holder being registered as a Pharmacy Technician.

The qualification will be a mixture of studying & showing competence within the acute trust with opportunities to experience different areas of pharmacy & in multi-sector rotations. This may include the NHS managed sector, community pharmacy & mental health over 2 years. This will give the post holder a varied overview & experience of the Pharmacy Technician role in different healthcare settings.

You should hold a minimum of 4 GCSEs (or equivalent) at Grade 9-4 (A*-C) including Mathematics, English Language & Science.

You will need to bring certification evidence & copies of these to interview. We cannot interview you without these.

Main duties of the job

The post holders will participate in a rotational training programme. Within the hospital this may include ward based medicines management, dispensary, aseptics, clinical trials, oncology, stores, procurement, homecare and high cost drugs. Rotations external to the hospital trust may include community pharmacy, mental health and outpatient pharmacy services.

The appointed candidates will need to demonstrate that they are patient focused, have good interpersonal and communication skills and committed to the training programme. The ability to cope with the discipline of studying whilst working as part of a team in this busy department is essential; therefore, a professional manner and work ethic is important for a PTPT to demonstrate.

Please note apprenticeship rules and eligibility criteria will apply to this post

About us

Royal Surrey is a compassionate and collaborative acute and community Trust. Recognising that our 5,000 colleagues are our greatest strength, we offer a comprehensive health and wellbeing programme alongside a strong commitment to developing your career. Our diverse and welcoming Royal Surrey family ensures you feel valued from your initial interview and throughout your time with us.

We are clinically led and provide joined-up care by bridging hospital and community services, alongside delivering regional specialist cancer care. Our main acute hospital site is in Guildford, with community sites at Milford, Haslemere and Cranleigh, and services delivered in patients' homes across Guildford and Waverley.

We work in partnership with Ashford & St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust through a collaborative Group Model, supporting joined-up services, workforce flexibility and development opportunities.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated us as Outstanding. We are proud of our achievements and continue to invest in our people and infrastructure.

To learn more about life at Royal Surrey, please watch our short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R96pMboIYdo

Adverts may close early, so you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Date posted

13 August 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£29,812 to £32,715 a year Annex 21 of AfC Band 4 (per annum) includes HCAS

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

2 years

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

384-JH-EMF20930-B4

Job locations

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust

Guildford

GU2 7XX

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

See full job description for detail

The Pre-Registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician (PTPT) apprenticeship programme combines and integrates work-based and traditional academic learning. You can expect to spend up to 80% of your time on-the-job, in a productive role, and at least 20% of your time learning off-the-job.

Training will be completed through a combination of attending face-to-face and/or virtual sessions delivered by the Higher Education Institution, where support will be given to empower you to complete and pass the theoretical and academic components and assessments. You will also complete a range of clinical placements, observations and work-based assessments as required by the apprenticeship programme. These aspects will be completed within the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust (RSFT) or with a designated placement provider, where you will be supported by appropriate professionals. During this time you will gain clinical experience working across an audited practice learning environment (placement setting) that will provide supervision and assessment, as set by the GPhC and NHS England.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Four GCSE's Grade 4 or above (Grade C or above) (or equivalent recognised by training provider) to include Math, English Language and Science
Higher Education Institution entry requirement: All applicants must have evidence of Education and Skills Funding Agency approved Level 2 English Language and maths qualifications e.g. GCSE A*-C (9-4), Functional Skills Level 2, UK ENIC Statement of Comparability for overseas qualifications
Apprenticeship eligibility requirement: oYou must be able to complete the apprenticeship in the time you have available oYou must spend at least 50% of your working hours in England over the duration of the apprenticeship oYou must have the right to work in England and have eligible residency status for the duration of the apprenticeship oYou must have lived and worked in the UK or EEA for the previous 3 years oYou must not be undertaking training funded through the Adult Education Budget that replicates the learning aims of the apprenticeship, that offers training that conflicts with the apprenticeship or takes place during working hours oYou must not be in receipt of any other direct Department for Education funding during the apprenticeship programme oContent of the apprenticeship must be materially different from any prior qualification held at the same or a higher level than the apprenticeship

Desirable

A Levels
Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Pharmacy Services or equivalent

Knowledge

Essential

Demonstrable understanding of importance of Health and Safety and Risk Management
Demonstrated accurate numeracy skills, without using a calculator, including: oSimple calculations oAddition, subtraction, division, multiplication, percentages, decimal, fractions, ratios
Demonstrable understanding of the role of a pharmacy technician within the pharmacy environment and within the context of the multi-disciplinary team
An awareness of what the Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship Programme entails and the scope of practice of a pharmacy technician
Understanding the importance of following procedures and working within guidelines and protocols
Experience of successful teamwork

Desirable

Knowledge and understanding of the NHS constitution
Demonstrated knowledge of 'patient confidentiality'
Work experience in hospital pharmacy and/or community pharmacy in the United Kingdom
Experience of stock management
Previous experience of NVQ or portfolio construction
Previous experience of working in a Pharmacy or 'customer orientated' service
Experience of working in a busy environment
Previous experience of a healthcare setting or customer-orientated service setting
Understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy/national guidance/CQC/ and appreciate the implications of this on engagement
Evidence of recent, accredited and completed academic study

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.