FOI 2025/1455

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information regarding the recruitment and selection process for the Senior Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist – Secondary Care post (vacancy reference 896-MED-1058-A) advertised by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care in 2025:

1. The total number of applications received for this vacancy.
2. The number of applicants shortlisted for interview.
3. The number of candidates interviewed, and the dates interviews took place.
4. Whether any internal, seconded or acting candidate was occupying or covering the role, or a substantially similar role, prior to or during the recruitment process.
5. The shortlisting and scoring criteria used to assess applications, including any weighting or scoring matrix.
6. The interview scoring criteria or questions used, if different from the shortlisting process.
7. The anonymised score ranges or averages for shortlisted and non-shortlisted applicants (no personal data required).
8. A copy of NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care’s Recruitment and Selection Policy and any Fair Recruitment or Equality Impact policy in effect at the time of this campaign.
9. The composition of the shortlisting and interview panel, including the job titles or roles (not names) of each panel member.
10. Whether an equality impact assessment or fair recruitment check was undertaken for this vacancy, and if so, a copy or summary of the findings.
11. The timeline of key recruitment events, including the advert date, shortlisting date, interview date and offer date.
12. Confirmation of whether the successful candidate was already employed within NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care prior to appointment.
13. Confirmation of whether the recruitment process was approved or reviewed by any HR or governance body prior to publication or appointment.
14. Any communications, minutes or reports (if held) that document how the recruitment process complied with NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care’s Recruitment and Selection Policy.
15. Please also confirm the dates on which shortlisting decisions were finalised and notifications to applicants were issued, to clarify the sequence of recruitment activities.

I understand that personal or identifying details may be withheld under Section 40 of the Act, but I request that all non-personal and process-related information be disclosed in full.

1. The total number of applications received for this vacancy 34 – 1 withdrawn

2. 7 applicants shortlisted for interview

3. 6 attended interview – dates:15 October 2025 and 16 October 2025

4. No

5. Shortlisting criteria:

Professional registration – Essential criteria

Pharmacist registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

Qualifications – Essential criteria

Postgraduate qualification in clinical pharmacy or equivalent experience

Experience – Essential criteria

Experience of leading successful implementation of change

Experience of identifying and interpreting National policy

Knowledge – Essential criteria

Excellent working knowledge of national and local pharmaceutical and prescribing policies, legislation and guidance

Competencies – Essential criteria

Excellent inter-personal, influencing and negotiating skills

6. NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM) can confirm that we hold the information you have requested. However, we are withholding it under Section 36(2)(c) of the Act – prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs.

Exemption applied – Section 36(2)(c)

The interview questions and scoring criteria used for this post are like those used in current and future recruitment activity across NHS GM. Disclosure of this information would be likely to prejudice the fairness and effectiveness of these recruitment processes. It would provide an unfair advantage to candidates who have access to the disclosed material and disadvantage others who do not, thereby undermining the integrity of recruitment exercises.

The decision to apply this exemption has been made with the reasonable opinion of the qualified person, as required by the Act.

Public Interest Test

We recognise that there is a public interest in promoting openness and transparency in relation to recruitment processes within the NHS.

However, there is a stronger public interest in ensuring that recruitment remains fair, competitive, and based on merit. Disclosing interview questions and scoring criteria that continue to be used would risk compromising the integrity of future recruitment, and therefore the quality and fairness of appointments made by the organisation.

On balance, we consider that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

7. The top 7 candidates were shortlisted, all of whom received an average score of between 11 and 12 points. 26 candidates were not shortlisted. The range of average scores for these candidates was between 3.333 and 10.667 points.

8. NHS GM Recruitment and Selection Policy
   **A PDF document was sent to the requester with this response.  If you require a copy of the full response, together with the attachments, please contact NHS GM’s FOI team – nhsgm.foi@nhs.net **

9.The composition of the shortlisting and interview panel:

Strategic Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist

Senior Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist

Senior Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist

10. NHS GM ensure all recruitment is fair and transparent. No names or personal details are shared at shortlisting. Panel members are representative, and it is a fair and transparent selection and interview process. Our recruitment process has been through a full EIA process. All our panel members are reminded of conscious and unconscious bias at the start of the process, and they score each candidate independently after each interview.

11. The timeline of key recruitment events:

Advert date: closed on 02/11/25

Interview date: 15/11/25 – 16/11/25

Offer date: 17/11/25

12. The person appointed was an Internal candidate although not in this position or team previously.

13. Vacancy was approved by Business-Critical Panel and Chief Officers prior to advertisement. Throughout the process was supported by designated HR recruitment contact.

14. All individual scoring is held, and the average has been shared above. No minutes are taken in this process.

15. 07/10/25