About this role
Job summary
Working Full time: 37.5 hours per week
To carry out a Portering function from the Pharmacy Department to all wards at The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation. The successful applicant will be delivering medicines, some of which require additional paperwork and act as a Receptionist, dealing with staff and patients in the main Pharmacy Department.
We are looking for an individual who can work under pressure and communicate effectively in a number of situations with a variety of people including Patients, Pharmacy Staff, Doctors, Nurses and many other health care staff.
This role is not a normal receptionist role - it can be very demanding and requires the post holder to be on their feet all day whilst managing the Dispensary and Ward Based workflow, manning the hatches and phones
Main duties of the job
To participate in providing an efficient delivery service to and from wards and the pharmacy department at COCH. Participate in the processing of stock returned from wards to be recycled or destroyed in the pharmacy department in line with Disposal procedures Receive in and document all prescriptions/charts and ward requisitions received at the dispensary reception. File all outpatient prescriptions, discharge notification forms, ward requisitions and faxed requests according to departmental policy
About us The Trust's services are provided from three locations: o The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 473 general and acute beds. o Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 60 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility. o Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population. The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust employs 5,964 staff (headcount) to provide care and treatment to a population of over 400,000 people living in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System. Due to its location on the border with North Wales, the Trust also works closely with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust treats patients from England and some parts of Wales. During 2024/2025, there were approximately 643,000 patient attendances (inpatient, A&E, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery
Job description Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values. An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page.
If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the essential criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer YES to the question: Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?
Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.
The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.
If a DBS is required for your role, you are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee applies which is payable to the DBS Service.Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costswill be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
The Trust will not sponsor where the starting salary does not meet immigration rules
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
NVQ level 2 in Pharmacy Services (must be willing to undertake if not possessed)
Desirable
GCSE in 3 subjects preferably including English and Mathematics
Knowledge and Experience Essential
Previous experience of a pharmacy environment.
Skills Essential
Team player Methodical good attention to detail Experience of using computer systems.
Desirable
Ability to undertake manual lifting, delivery and cleaning duties Willingness to undertake further training including NVQ Level 2 in Pharmacy Services.
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 Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address Countess of Chester Hospital
Liverpool Road
Chester
CH2 1UL
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.coch.nhs.uk/working-with-us.aspx (Opens in a new tab)