Nationally, and within Kent and Medway, there is an identified workforce priority to ensure Newly Qualified and Early Careers Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians are supported to meet the requirements of the Initial Education and Training of Pharmacists (IETP) reform work, as outlined in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. This includes readiness for the rapidly changing roles of Pharmacy Professionals, including Independent Prescribing, evolving future supervision roles, and ensuring the appropriate skill-mix of pharmacy teams providing care to NHS patients.
An offer of Early Career development funding was circulated in February of this year to all sectors but there was an imbalance of successful bids between primary and secondary care. This second round is specifically focussed on supporting primary care and community pharmacy to help develop their early career pharmacist and pharmacy technician workforce.
For any questions around requests for funding, please reply to this email, The Pharmacy Workforce Team will be happy to discuss opportunities and suggest ways in which this funding can be used, there are many providers of courses online suitable for upskilling of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in their early careers.
Please note that any funding requests for accuracy checking for pharmacy technicians must be for a course provider accredited by APTUK to meet the National Education Framework: Final Accuracy Checking of Dispensed Medicines and Products (2019).
Competing this form is not a guarantee that the requested funding will be provided. Outcomes of applications will be provided in July 2025. Any approved funding for courses will be subject to progress evaluation reports and organisations must commit to assist with gathering required information as required by NHS England and NHS Kent and Medway Pharmacy workforce teams as part of the conditions of provision of funding.
Once an expression of interest for an organisation has been completed, the person submitting the request will be contacted by NHS Kent and Medway Pharmacy Workforce Team to organise a phone call to explore the request further. As part of this discussion, how the request meets individual development, organisation needs and local population health priorities will be questioned.
Deadline for completion of the funding request form is 15th June 12 noon.
For questions please email kmicb.pharmacyworkforce@nhs.net
