Job reference: 238079
Salary: Band 8A (£62,681 - £67,665)
Job closing date: 06/02/2026
Job Type: Other Therapeutic
Location: Various Sites Across Ayrshire
Employment type: Fixed-term or Secondment
Hours Per Week: 37
Job posted date: 23/01/2026
Employer (NHS Board): NHS Ayrshire & Arran
Department: Pharmacy

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NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

Who we are:

NHS Ayrshire and Arran is one of 14 territorial NHS Boards within NHS Scotland.

In support of our core purpose of Working together to achieve the healthiest life possible for everyone in Ayrshire and Arran we are committed to a culture that is Caring, Safe, and Respectful. You will be required to work collaboratively in a safe, caring and respectful way.

To find out more about NHS Ayrshire and Arran please visit our website - NHS Ayrshire & Arran - Home (nhsaaa.net)


Position: Senior Pharmacist – Care of the Elderly

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Pharmacist – Care of the Elderly within our pharmacy department based at University Hospital Ayr.

Hours and Shift Pattern:

37 hours working over 7 days. The post involves participation in weekend, public holiday and late night dispensary rotas.

The post based at University Hospital Ayr/Biggart is offered on a fixed term/secondment basis for 18 months.

From 1 April 2026, the working week for NHS Agenda for Change staff in Scotland will be reduced. Full-time hours will reduce from 37 to 36 hours (pro rata for part-time staff) without loss of earnings.


What you will do:

You will join our well-established clinical pharmacy team to provide pharmaceutical care to care of the elderly patients and patients with frailty within our frailty areas in our combined assessment unit and frailty wards at University Hospital Ayr and care of the elderly wards at Biggart Hospital. We are currently developing our Hospital at Home services. This post will be responsible for developing pharmacy input to these services and ensuring appropriate medicines governance processes are in place. You will lead the development of new services across the specialty with a focus on developing an advanced practice role as an independent prescriber within these settings and liaising with the multidisciplinary team including the Hospital At Home and integrated care teams to improve the patient experience across different care settings. The postholder will also support and manage the Senior Pharmacist - Frailty (band 7) in developing their novel role within the service. These new positions will support the continued development of our frailty services and provide a fantastic opportunity to gain experience of service redesign and evaluation.

For further information on the role please click the link below to view the job description


Knowledge, training, qualifications and/or experience required to do the job:

You are required to have a Master of Pharmacy degree or equivalent and be registered as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council. Applicants should have completed a postgraduate qualification in clinical pharmacy, or should have completed or be working towards completion of the RPS Core Advanced Curriculum.

You must hold an independent prescribing qualification.

For further information on the requirements for the role please click the link below to view the person specification


UK Driving Licence

Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential to this role.


If you would like to find out more about the role, please contact:

Sarah McDonald Principal Pharmacist Clinical Services (sarah.mcdonald@aapct.scot.nhs.uk) or

Marion Hamilton Principal Pharmacist Clinical Services (marion.hamilton@aapct.scot.nhs.uk). Ext 01563 826081


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR OVERSEAS CANDIDATES

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found within the attached Candidate Information Pack.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form.

The Recruitment Team are unable to answer individual queries at application stage about this, please visit here for further information.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR ALL CANDIDATES

You should apply for this post by completing the application process on JobTrain.

  • DO NOT upload a CV as this will not be used for shortlisting purposes.
  • Posts close at midnight on the indicated date. Late applications will not be accepted.
  • For help to complete an application on JobTrain, please follow this link: https://www.careers.nhs.scot/how-to-apply/application-process/
  • To view our accessibility statement, please follow this link: https://www.eess.nhs.scot/jobtrain-accessibility-statement/
  • Please note that our correspondence method is by email, therefore please ensure you enter your email address accurately.
  • Please check your email regularly (including junk folders) and also your JobTrain account for updates.
  • Please contact JobTrain Candidate Support Hub: https://jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home - for advice and support with any system issues.
  • We recommend using the Internet Browser “Google Chrome” or “Microsoft Edge” when using JobTrain.
  • Once you have submitted your application form you will be unable to make any amendments.
  • Some of our vacancies are for internal candidates only. If you are a staff member, please ensure you update your JobTrain profile to reflect that you are employed by NHS Ayrshire and Arran.
  • Please note, for all vacancies where a driving licence is required this must be a full UK/EU/EEA licence.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran has a legal obligation to ensure that it does not employ any worker who has not been granted the relevant permission to work in the UK. This permission is, without exception, granted by UK Visas and Immigrations. We are required to check the entitlement to work in the UK of all prospective employees, regardless of nationality or job category. Candidates who require a Certificate of Sponsorship can access further information at www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk

We are unable to provide sponsorship for bank contracts.

Take a look around the company https://jobs.scot.nhs.uk/