National Foundation Trainee Pharmacist Recruitment

Contingency Plan for the 2021 Recruitment Cycle
As the 2021 recruitment cycle approaches Coronavirus is still rife in many parts of the country, and it is recognised that the healthcare workforce will continue to be needed to help respond to the pandemic and its aftermath in the coming months. We are seeing an increasing number of pharmacists being deployed in regional vaccine centres, with the forecast for this to increase and eventually for community pharmacies to also be engaged to deliver vaccines at scale. 
Within this context the Pharmacy National Recruitment team have, in consultation with our key partners and stakeholders, decided to cancel Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) and base all applicant rankings on scores obtained from Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs) and the Numeracy assessment. This repeats the process successfully used in the previous recruitment cycle. 

A joint webinar by Health Education England, NHS Education for Scotland, Health Education and Improvement Wales, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the British Pharmaceutical Students’ Association was held in June to help answer key questions about the National Recruitment Scheme, our contingency plans and the applicant view of the process. The webinar can be viewed at the link below.

Student Zone

JD Person Spec and PAF

Evaluation

News

Quality Framework

Terms of Participation

Employer Frequently Asked Questions

Regional Info

Change of Terminology

In January 2021, the GPhC published the revised Standards for the Initial Education and Training of Pharmacists. The fifth year of training (previously called the pre-registration year) will now be called the Foundation Training Year. Learners on this programme will be referred to as Trainee Pharmacists. Tutors will now be known as Designated Supervisors.  Please note that the terminology previously used e.g. Pre-registration Pharmacist, Pre-registration Training and Tutor may be used interchangeably with the new terminology for this year.

Trainee Pharmacist Recruitment Overview

What's happening now (June - August)

The application window for students opens on the 9th June at 12pm and closes at 12pm on 23rd June. From 24th June, you can spend time researching the placements you are interested in preferencing prior to the preferencing window opening on 28th July. The Numeracy/SJT booking window opens for those applicants who have submitted an application on 4th August.  
Access the Oriel Website below. 

ORIEL Website

Applicant Handbook

The new applicant handbooks for the 2021 round of recruitment for both England and Wales, and also Scotland, are now available to view and download via the Resource Bank of the Oriel Pharmacy Programme portal; please select your handbook carefully when accessing via Oriel. You can also access the England and Wales applicant handbook below. 

Foundation Training Year Applicant Handbook 2021

Complaints Policy