Search

Quality Control Technician

Quality Control (QC) Laboratories carry out a number of highly specialist activities such as:

• Analytical testing
• Cleaning validation
• Environmental monitoring
• Formulation and stability studies
• Medical gas testing

Lab technician working with petri dish for analysis

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.

Within the NHS, aseptic units and production units are required to carry out routine chemical and microbiology testing. This is carried out by either a QC laboratory on-site or a contract QC laboratory.

QC laboratories help ensure that the products prepared or manufactured within NHS facilities are sterile, stable and fit for purpose.

What is the Role?

A QC Technician is responsible for supporting all laboratory activities. They play a part in ensuring that the quality of raw materials and consumables used are fit for purpose and will not cause harm to patients. As a QC Technician, you will be required to work under the supervision and instruction of a QC Scientist.

What would you do in the role?

  • To accurately log all samples received by the QC laboratory.
  • To wash and prepare the laboratory glassware and kits for testing purposes.
  • To monitor stock levels of consumables including chemicals, filters, syringes, gloves and other similar items.
  • To incubate environmental monitoring plates and broth kits to encourage growth.
  • To examine microbiological media, post-incubation and then record the appropriate results.

QC laboratories are essential for ensuring that products prepared within an aseptic unit or production unit are fit for purpose for several reasons such as:

  • They ensure that the environment in which the products are manufactured is of the correct pharmaceutical grade.
  • They carry out chemical stability studies on products to ensure that the products are fit for patient use.
  • They ensure that raw materials for products are fit for purpose and from an authorised supplier.

This sector is vital to ensuring patients receive fit-for-purpose products as aseptic and production units provide treatment to a range of complicated and clinically unwell patients.

Within a QC laboratory, the team may consist of the following roles: QC Lab Manager, Site Microbiologist, Deputy QC Lab Manager, QC Supervisor, QC Validation Scientist, QC Scientist, QC Technician.

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

Quality Control roles are great for those who enjoy science, maths and helping patients.

 

Responsibilities

  • To accurately log all samples received by the QC laboratory.
  • To archive physical copies, scan and save documents electronically as appropriate.
  • To wash and prepare the laboratory glassware and kits for testing purposes.
  • To monitor stock levels of consumables including chemicals, filters, syringes, gloves and other similar items.
  • Courteously answer phone calls and direct the enquiry to the appropriate member of staff.
  • To incubate environmental monitoring plates and broth kits to encourage growth.
  • Clean incubators, fridges and freezers when required.
  • To examine microbiological media, post-incubation and then record the appropriate results.
  • Send environmental monitoring plates for identification and assist in raising microbiological deviation reports when necessary.
  • To perform environmental monitoring data entry and verification.
  • To arrange calibration and servicing of the environmental monitoring equipment.
  • To carry out the transfer of products into sterility cleanrooms for testing.
  • To arrange couriers and send samples to external providers when required.
  • To print and generate environmental monitoring trending graphs and data.
  • Ensure that reagents and samples are prepared, stored and used in an appropriate manner.

Skills

  • You must be able to demonstrate a good level of good manufacturing practice (GMP).
  • You must have good communication skills, used when directing phone calls to the appropriate person.
  • You must be able to demonstrate an ability to perform calculations.

Salary

A QC Technician working within the NHS is generally a band 2 or 3 level, depending on experience.

Band 2: £22,383

Band 3: £22,816 – £24,336

(Based on 2023/2024 pay scales)

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.

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

Working hours

A QC technian 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.

Similar roles are available outside of the NHS within universities, colleges, schools and commercial laboratories.

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

While working in the laboratory you will support the team in working with equipment that includes high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), auto titrators, pH meter, conductivity meter, refractometer, and melting point. These test methods are used to support product testing and carry out stability studies to support the expiry allocation of current products and allocate expiries for new products.

An example of a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) that you may use in this role – see opposite.

Ultra high performance chromatography (HPLC)

Laboratory work

You will be responsible for ensuring all laboratory equipment and glassware are clean and ready for use.

You may also have to use microbiology materials such as settle plates, contact plates and other growth media

When working within a laboratory you will be required to wear a lab overcoat.

When working within the sterility testing cleanrooms you will be 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.

Lab glassware

Career Progression

There are several career opportunities such as:

  • Senior QC Technician
  • QC Scientist
  • QC Laboratory Manager
  • Releasing Officer

Further training could also be gained in the form of:

  • Science Manufacturing Technician qualification (level 3).
  • Science degree, applicable to the role such as chemistry.
  • MSc in Pharmacy Technology and Quality Assurance.

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

Routes to become a QC Technician

This role is an entry-level role in QC services. You will generally require 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.

Useful links