Foundation trainee pharmacist recruitment 2026-27
NHS England has announced that employer registration for the 2026-27 foundation training year via their England National Recruitment Scheme (Oriel), is now open. The National Recruitment Scheme is the only route for employing a foundation trainee pharmacist; employers cannot recruit foundation trainee pharmacists directly.
Guidance for pharmacies:
- Update Knowledge: Refer to the National Recruitment Scheme Employer Handbook and the 2024 employer submissions for guidance.
- Sign Up: Complete the online registration form by accessing the employer registration guide at the provided link.
- Agree to the NHS England Terms of Participation and Health Education England’s Quality Framework.
- Submit one form per programme and track submissions carefully.
Deadline: Submit all programme registration forms by 11:59 PM on 1st March 2025. Late submissions will not be accepted.
For full details, including the registration form and a comprehensive Employer Handbook, please visit the National Recruitment Scheme website and visit our website.
If you require further assistance please contact the East of England Pharmacy Team by emailing: england.wtepharmacy.eoe@nhs.net.
Oriel Workshop Invite
NHSE will be holding Oriel workshops for those employers participating in the Foundation Trainee Pharmacist National Recruitment Scheme 2025 (2026/27 intake).
There are two MS Teams workshop opportunities to choose from:
28th January 2025 at 10:00 -11:00 am – Join here
12th February 2025 at 10:00 -11:00 am – Join here
These workshops will cover the 2025 Oriel application process for the 2026/27 Foundation Trainee Pharmacist intake. They will go through updates for this recruitment round and how to promote the programme focusing on the program description.
NB: That the Foundation Trainee Pharmacist placement will no longer be required to be a multi-sector placement for the 2026–27 training year, see below:
NHSE WT&E Change to Multi-sector Requirements
NHSE WT&E have advised that mandatory rotations will be phased and no longer a requirement for the 2025/26 cohort. Instead the aim will be to fully implement multi-sector trainee placements from 2027/28.
Early Careers Pharmacist Survey
As you will be aware from 2026 all pharmacists will be prescribers at the point of registration. This will necessitate a review of how early careers pharmacist (ECP) education pathways (education, training, supervision and support) are delivered from 2026.
If you are involved in early careers pharmacy workforce development, employment and/or the education and training of ECPs please complete this survey to inform NHS England's Pharmacy Workforce, Training and Education (WT&E) plans over the coming years. They are especially interested in feedback from community pharmacy. Closing date is the 31st January 2025.
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