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NHS Manufacturing Operative

NHS aseptic or production services provide controlled environments in which trained staff produce 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.

Lab Technician Pulls Up A Tip For Chemotherapy In Cystatic Solar In Sterile Room

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.

Section 10 Aseptic Units vs MS Licenced Production Facilities

NHS facilities are most operated via, Section 10 exemption of the Medicines Act 1968 or a Manufactures Specials (MS) licence granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Aseptic Units prepare and dispense sterile patient-specific medicines under the supervision of an Accountable Pharmacist.

Production Units manufacture or assemble batches under the responsibility of a Head of Production and a Head of Quality.

What is the Role?

An NHS Manufacturing Operative may be referred to by several different job titles depending on the employer, such as:

  • Pharmacy Aseptic Assistant
  • Pharmacy Dispensing Assistant
  • Pharmacy Production Assistant
  • Science Manufacturing Process Operative
  • Production Assistant
  • Production Operative

As an NHS Manufacturing Operative, you will work within an NHS facility working in either a hospital or an NHS offsite location. You would generally not be expected to work on wards, oncology units, or other patient-facing areas.

What would you do in the role (Aseptic Unit)?

Your role, dependant on the organisation, may involve aseptic dispensing and aseptic preparation of products such as Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatments (SACT) including chemotherapy, Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) and Central Intravenous Additive Services (CIVAS).

To ensure the quality and sterility of these products this activity would be carried out within pharmaceutical-grade cleanrooms, isolators, and laminar flow systems.

When working in a facility where the Manufacturing Technicians are responsible for the preparation of these products your role as a Manufacturing Operative may include supportive duties such as setting up the work trays, batch document creation, label creation, transfer of materials into the cleanrooms (using wipe and spray techniques), cleaning of the cleanrooms and stock management.

Products are prepared within Aseptic 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.

Within an Aseptic Unit, the team will generally consist of Pharmacy Aseptic Assistants, Aseptic Pharmacy Technicians, Science Manufacturing Technicians and Pharmacists.

There is also an opportunity to work on clinical trials within an Aseptic Unit. This is particularly gratifying when you see something you have been involved with as a trial drug become a licensed medicine.

What would you do in the role (Production Unit)?

Within a Production Unit, it is most likely that the manufacture of products such as Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatments (SACT) including chemotherapy, Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) and Ready to Administer (RtAs) products is carried out by a Manufacturing Operative.

To ensure the quality and sterility of these products this activity would be carried out within pharmaceutical-grade cleanrooms, isolators, and laminar flow systems.

Within a Production Unit, the over-labeling of licenced medicines is also carried out; these products are used onwards as pre-labeled boxes for patients.

When working in a facility where the Manufacturing Technicians are responsible for the manufacture of these products your role may include supportive duties such as setting up the batches, batch document creation, label creation, and transfer of materials into the cleanrooms (using wipe and spray techniques, or gassing methods), visual inspection of the final products, cleaning of the cleanrooms, dispatch of the final products and stock management.

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.

This 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.

If you want to make an impact on patients lives but do not want to engage in patient contact this role is for you.

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

Responsibilities

  • Within some facilities, you may be required to prepare or manufacture a range of products, working in isolators, laminar flow cabinets or cleanrooms.
  • Along with all other staff, responsible for maintaining the integrity of the cleanroom environment.
  • Transfer of materials into the cleanrooms (using wipe and spray techniques, or gassing methods)
  • Visual inspection of final products
  • Cleaning of the cleanrooms
  • Dispatch of the final products to customers or wards.
  • Stock management, including receipt of goods and stock checks.

Skills

  • Honesty and transparency: You need to be confident to report issues and mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes but it is critical to the patient’s health and wellbeing that mistakes are reported immediately. This is the case for pharmacy, manufacturing and laboratory roles, it is an attribute you will certainly need.
  • Methodical and logical: Do you thrive on data and facts? If so, then it’s for you. You need to have a quite methodical mindset and pattern of working.
  • Attention to detail and professionalism: You will not necessarily be working under direct supervision but the quality and accuracy of what you do is critical so you must understand the gravity of that. You must hold yourself accountable to high standards.

Salary

Newly qualified NHS Manufacturing Operatives will usually start in the NHS at Band 2 or 3, depending on the NHS Trust.

Band 2: 21,283 – £22,383

Band 3: £22,816 – £24,336

(Based on 2023/2024 pay scales)

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

Working hours

NHS Manufacturing Operatives working in the NHS will generally work 37.5 a week.

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

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

Employers

NHS Organisations.

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

Working within cleanrooms requires staff 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

Isolator

An example of an isolator used within Aseptic Units and Production Units – see opposite.

Isolator aseptic system

Career Progression

There are several career opportunities such as:

  • Team Leader
  • Cleanroom Supervisor
  • Become a Production or Quality Manager
  • Specialise in Education and Training
  • Become a Releasing Officer

Further training could also be gained in the form of:

  • Level 3 qualification to become a Pharmacy Technician or Science Manufacturing Technician

There have been occasions whereby someone has started within the NHS at a band 2 level and has reached career grades such as 8D and higher.

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

Routes to become an NHS Manufacturing Operative

To become an NHS Manufacturing Operative generally requires grade 4 (C) and above at GCSE (or equivalent) in Maths and English. However, this is not the case for all NHS Trusts, so check the essential criteria within job adverts.

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