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Head of Production

NHS manufacturing services provide controlled environments in which trained staff manufacture and assemble a range of products such as:

• Ready to Administer (RtA) products such as IV antibiotics.
• Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatments (SACT) such as chemotherapy.
• Parenteral Nutrition (PN).
• Cutting-edge treatments for both gene therapy and clinical trials.
• Over-labelled Products.

Portrait of a senior male production chain worker in a pharmaceutical setting.

What are NHS Technical Services

Technical services within the NHS are made up of the following services:

  • Aseptic Units: Carry out preparation and dispensing of patient-specific sterile medicines, including chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition (PN), central intravenous additive services (CIVAS) and clinical trials.
  • Production / Manufacturing Units: Carry out the manufacture of batches of medicines, including but not limited to chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition (PN) and central intravenous additive services (CIVAS), clinical trials and gene therapy.
  • Radiopharmacy: Carry out manufacturing and supplying radioactive substances used in nuclear medicine.
  • Quality Assurance (QA): Are responsible for ensuring that the final products conform to the appropriate quality. They are responsible for the creation and maintenance of the quality system used within technical services and are involved with the assessment of the quality of unlicensed medicines.
  • Quality Control (QC): Carry out a range of chemical and microbiological tests on medicines and materials to ensure they are safe to use.

What is the Role?

The Head of Production role is a specific role to facilities operating within a Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Manufacturing Specials (MS) licence or Manufacture / Importation of licenced medicinal products (MIA) licence.

All products manufactured or assembled are done so under the responsibility of a Head of Production and a Head of Quality. Both are named on the respective licence.

As a Head of Production, you will be responsible for all manufacturing and assembly-related services.

The duties of the Head of Production include:

  • Ensuring that all products are produced and stored according to the appropriate documentation to obtain the required quality.
  • Approval of instructions relating to the manufacturing operations and ensuring their strict implementation.
  • Ensure that the production records are evaluated and signed by an authorised person before they are sent to the Quality Control Department.
  • To check the maintenance of the department, premises, and equipment.
  • To ensure that the appropriate validations are carried out.
  • To ensure that the required initial and continuing training of staff is carried out.

 

Production Units

Products are manufactured within Production Units for several reasons such as:

  • Ensures the quality of the products are fit for purpose.
  • Safe for the nursing teams as some products are hazardous to their health.
  • Reduce the risk of infection in patients.
  • The use of automated and semi-automated technologies can increase the output of products.
  • Products can be manufactured within small-scale batch sizes to realise manufacturing efficiencies.

Within a Production Unit the team may consist of Pharmacy Assistants, Manufacturing Operatives, Manufacturing Technicians (including both Pharmacy Technicians and Science Manufacturing Technicians) Pharmacists and Scientists.

The sector is vital to providing care to some of the most complicated and clinically unwell patients and it is this that makes the job so worthwhile.

Everyone has been or knows someone who has been impacted by cancer, this is why a role in technical services is very rewarding as it enables you to join the fight against cancer.

Technical services roles are great for those who like challenge and variety.

Responsibilities

  • Responsible for the management of the Manufacturing Services, encompassing staff, resources, activity, and information.
  • In conjunction with the Head of Quality, the Head of Production is responsible for the maintenance of the MHRA licence(s).
  • They must liaise with regulatory authorities such as the MHRA and lead on external audits.
  • To provide information, when required, to nursing and medical staff on optimum formulations for the stability of all products manufactured.
  • To maintain awareness and knowledge of industry development and best practice.
  • Responsible for the manufacturing budget.
  • To lead, inspire and motivate others to high performance by agreeing on clear goals and objectives, providing support and guidance and creating development opportunities.
  • To contribute to the development of a culture of high engagement, where staff are empowered and entrusted to provide the best services and care for patients.
  • To be responsible for interpreting, actioning and demonstrating the satisfactory implementation of actions to address the remedial points deemed necessary from MHRA inspection.
  • Provides advice, particularly in the management of aseptic manufacture with regard to optimum formulation and presentation for patient benefit.
  • Provides advice to service users on the use of dose-banded products, regime calculations, and product selection.
  • Ensuring procurement and supply of all raw materials and finished goods is in accordance with the quality system.

Skills

  • Highly specialist manufacturing professional with detailed knowledge of:
    • MHRA Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice, and the British and European pharmacopoeia requirements for raw materials, intermediates and finished products.
    • Legislation relating to medicines e.g. HMR 2012/ 1916.
    • Appropriate engineering and building standards knowledge relating to new builds for pharmaceutical manufacture.
    • Awareness of national policies and best practices which impinge on role.
    • Awareness of developments in technical areas of pharmaceutical manufacturing.
    • Evidence of continuing education/professional (CPD).
    • Expert knowledge of isolators and laminar airflow technology.
  • To provide guidance to the team on solving any malfunctions or problems within the manufacturing facility and ensure outcomes are satisfactory.
  • To identify staffing and recruitment issues and implement change in the staff structure to accommodate changes in service needs and /or to resolve issues.
  • Monitor, assess and review key performance indicators, rewarding, remediating or escalating when appropriate.
  • Strong leadership qualities are essential given you will be a senior manager for all staff working within the facility.
  • Attention to detail, for review of updated procedures and guidance documents.
  • Professionalism is a fundamental requirement of the role.

Salary

The role of Head of Production is a senior role, with a lot of responsibility. This role does not apply to newly qualified staff. This role is generally banded between 8a to 8D depending on the size of the facility and level of responsibility.

Band 8a: £50,952 – £57,349

Band 8b: £58,972 – £68,525

Band 8c: £70,417 – £81,138

Band 8d: £83,571 – £96,376

(Based on 2023/2024 pay scales)

More information on the pay, pensions and rewards, can be found on the NHS Employers website.

Working hours

A Head of Production working in the NHS will generally work 37.5 a week.

The working models of each NHS organisation may vary therefore you may have to work the following models:

  • 9-5 Monday to Friday
  • Shift working
  • 7-day working

Employers

NHS organisations who hold an MS or MIA licence granted by the MHRA.

Similar roles are available outside of the NHS such as Quantum in Durham.

Work experience

Work experience in any area of the NHS would support you to access employment in your future career.

Asking to volunteer at a hospital at an early stage in your career is also of great benefit.

What to expect

The role of Head of Production comes with a very high level of responsibility, you will be required to lead large teams, lead challenging meetings and take responsibility for the products manufactured within the facility.

You will be working in a very different environment, staff are required to wear cleanroom clothing, hair nets, beard nets, gloves and occasionally masks. Staff are not allowed to wear makeup, false nails, false eyelashes, jewellery when working within the cleanrooms to maintain the strictly controlled environment to project the products and patients.

A cleanroom lab

Career Progression

This role is a senior role, however there are still other career progression routes which may be possible such as:

  • Managing Director
  • Qualified Person (QP)
  • Executive Director
  • Chief Executive

A full range of roles can be found within the career escalator tool.

Routes to become a Head of Production

To become a Head of Production within the NHS you will likely need to be registered with a relevant professional body such as:

  • General Pharmaceutical Council
    • Pharmacist
    • Pharmacy Technician
  • Academy for Healthcare Science
    • Science Trainee Program (STP) graduate
  • Science Council
    • Science Manufacturing Technician (SMT)

To become a pharmacist, you must have completed a Master’s Pharmacy (MPharm) degree and have completed the one-year foundation training post-qualification.

To become a Pharmacy Technician, you must have completed a two-year accredited pharmacy technician course. This is likely to be in the form of a level 3 apprenticeship.

To become a STP, you must have a 1:1 or 2:1 in either undergraduate honours degree or an integrated master’s degree, in a pure or applied science subject.

To become a SMT, you must have completed a two-year accredited science manufacturing technician course. This is likely to be in the form of a level 3 apprenticeship.

You must have a high level of experience in technical services, including a high level of good manufacturing practice knowledge.

It is very common for a Head of Production to have successfully completed either a PGDip (2 years) or MSc level (3 years) in Pharmacy Technology and Quality Assurance.

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