Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust • Rochester ME1 3QS
About this role
Are you ready to unlock your potential within a challenging, creative and fast paced work environment? Do you want to work with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past?
We are currently looking for a compassionate, knowledgeable and motivated Pharmacy Assistant to join our friendly team atHMPRochester/Cookham Wood.
Our healthcare team have a real impact on promoting health and well-being to those in prison and we pride ourselves on using skills and strategies that instil hope for patients future resettlement back into the community. We directly deliver Mental Health, Physical Health, Pharmacy and Clinical Substance Misuse in an integrated healthcare delivery model to provide effective and responsive care to improve wellbeing and support better outcomes in the future.
As part of our primary care service, you will enjoy all the benefits of NHS AfC employment (inc pension) with the opportunity to work within a forward-thinking service, who encourage career and personal development to all staff to increase their clinical and interpersonal skills.
**Important
Sponsorship Information for this post
We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post**
As a Pharmacy Assistant, you will contribute towards the smooth and efficient running of the pharmacy services within the primary care team on site within the prisons.
You will process repeat prescriptions and provide an efficient and safe system in order of priority, liaising with
All relevant parties, including contact with GPs, pharmacy staff and other health care professionals regarding medication queries.
To ensure all administration duties and patient requests are processed in accordance with policies and practice.
This position is located at both HMP Rochester and HMP Cookham Wood, and the post holder will be expected to work at both locations depending on service requirements. The post holder will also need to collaborate closely with colleagues at nearby Kent prisons, including HMP Maidstone and HMP East Sutton Park, and may occasionally provide cross-cover between sites.
Wondering what its like to work within offender healthcare?
“I really enjoy working in the Pharmacy Service for Oxleas, my role is extremely varied and I work within a very supportive team. I find my role rewarding as it is all about enabling patient’s rehabilitation and I enjoy interacting with patients daily and building relationships with them. Oxleas are a good employer and there are plenty of opportunities to be supported through qualifications and training which then allows you to progress through different bands within the team.” Amanda - Pharmacy Tech.
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.
We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
- We’re Kind
- We’re Fair
- We Listen
- We Care
- Issue repeat prescriptions (supervised and in possession prescriptions) within a timely manner ensuring compliance with the policy.
- Deal with prescription management queries from a range of healthcare professionals including; GP’s, nurses, pharmacists, primary staff as well as reception/administration staff.
- Check risk assessments are completed routinely according to in possession policy Kent and raise queries appropriately with the primary care team if risk assessments are due
- Review in possession status of each patient upon each prescription request and issue repeat prescriptions according to risk assessment
- Respond appropriately to changes in possession status of prescriptions
- Working closely with the prescribing GP Pharmacist, act upon any relevant prescribing changes
- Any other prescription or medicines management related duties as reasonably requested
The above list of duties is not exhaustive and may be subject to change as deemed necessary.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION,
PLEASE READ
All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting. This will be completed as part of the pre-employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.
You will need to provide
Proof of right to work documentation
Proof of ID, needs to include 1 photographic ID
Proof of address documentation
Non-UK passport holders will need to have correct documentation (right to work in the UK) and a Home office Share code.
Address History
5 years address history will be needed.
Applicants that are not UK Passport holders who provide less than 5 years UK address history will need to provide a Police Certificate which must be in English from where they resided previously.
Applicants who are UK Passport holders who have lived abroad for a period of more than six months during the last three years will need to provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the countries resided in or visited.
In order to assist you in obtaining a Police Certificate, guidance can be sought from:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants
If the country you have resided in is not listed here, you can obtain the necessary information by contacting the relevant Embassy or High Commission for that Country. Their contact details can be found on the Foreign &
Commonwealth Office website (http
//www.fco.gov.uk/en).
This advert closes on Tuesday 9 Jun 2026
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.