Adult Critical Care training for Pharmacy professionals

NHS England commissioned fully funded training places to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in adult critical care units in England.

Background

In 2022, NHS England responded to evidence highlighting workforce concerns by establishing the Adult Critical Care (ACC) Planning Programme – incorporating training of Advanced Critical Care Practitioners, Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) and Nurses. In November 2023, training providers were invited to bid for delivery of Adult Critical care training for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians, resulting in three new training opportunities for Pharmacy professionals.

About the training

NHS England is committed to supporting the development of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in adult critical care. The NHS England Adult Critical Care Pharmacy Workforce Strategy (2022) set an ambition that pharmacy services to adult critical care must meet the standards set out in the NHS England D05 service specification and the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine / Intensive Care Society Guidelines for the Provision of Intensive Care Services (GPICS). The education and training offers meet the standards set out in the current NHS England D05 service specification and GPICS.

The current training offer

Adult critical care training pathway for pharmacy technicians

The 12-month training pathway in critical care for pharmacy technicians runs from September 2025 through May 2026 and provides the skills and knowledge needed to provide high quality and safe pharmaceutical care as part of a multi-disciplinary critical care team. 

The blended learning programme is delivered with a mix of in-person and virtual study days facilitated by clinical experts in critical care, and on-line self-directed study. Learners will be expected to have a workplace supervisor to support development of a portfolio of evidence against a range of learning outcomes.

Eligibility criteria:

• be a pharmacy technician registered with the GPhC
• be employed within the NHS in England
• have a demonstrable clinical role in adult critical care in their hospital (at least 0.2WTE, either as a substantive pharmacy technician working in adult critical care, or with a part-time or sessional commitment for example, weekend/holiday cover, limited role.)
• have written permission to enrol from your line manager
• have written confirmation of educational supervision/clinical supervision from a critical care pharmacist and provide their contact details to enable relevant course materials to be sent to them
• be able to attend the induction day on 24 September and all five study days in the programme

Apply now by 31 August 2025:

For information and to enrol contact critcarepharmtechs@bradford.ac.uk for more information.

Contact us

If you have any questions, contact us by emailing england.pharmacyteam@nhs.net.