Quality Assurance Scientist - Aseptic Services

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Mon-Fri 8am to 4pm. May require to contribute to the on-call rota)

Job ref: 262-A-25-7197366

Employer: North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Employer type: NHS

Site: Cumberland Infirmary

Town: Carlisle

Salary: £46,148 - £52,809 Per annum

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 02/06/2025 23:59

Job Overview

The successful candidate will contribute to the delivery and development of a high quality, patient-centred aseptic service, including participation in, and preparation for internal and external audits and the delivery of service improvement plans. With the Senior Aseptic Team, you will assist in the supervision and ensuring adherence to the quality management system, supporting the further development of your management and leadership skills.

Qualities And Skills Required Include:

• Organisation and prioritisation
• Excellent team player
• Effective communicator
• Ability to effectively manage change
• A commitment to the continuous improvement of the service
• Ability to maximise the contributions of the whole team

The post holder will have a postgraduate Diploma/MSc in a relevant field or demonstrate evidence of professional practice knowledge, training and experience equivalent to that level.

Main duties of the job:

The main duties of the job are to ensure compliance with Quality Assurance of Aseptic Preparation Services: Standards, Rules and Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Distributors, Aseptic Dispensing for NHS Patients, Maintaining Asepsis During the Preparation of Pharmaceutical Products, and any other current legal, national, regional or local guidelines ensuring the highest levels of professional and technical standards are achieved.

Management and administration duties by contributing to the effective management of all available resources relating to aseptic dispensing i.e. staff, equipment and facilities.

Contributes to the supervision and training of staff and students from all disciplines in the speciality, acting as a role model.

Ensure that the organisation of services supports the delivery of the highest standards of patient care in the pursuance of the Trust's objectives. The Aseptic team is responsible for ensuring that effective systems of work are in place to ensure the safe delivery of aseptically prepared medication.

The centralised section 10 aseptic unit is responsible for preparing and dispensing 20,000 items per year with a range of products for inpatients and outpatients within the Trust. This includes chemotherapy products and monoclonal antibodies.

Working for our organisation:

At NCIC, we have an ambition to deliver outstanding healthcare services to the population of North Cumbria. The Trust is committed to creating a centre of excellence in providing rural and remote healthcare and provides a wide range of community and acute services throughout our county.

Our 5 key principles demonstrate our belief in the delivery of safe, high quality care every time:

• Being a clinically led organisation
• Quality and safety at the heart of our Trust
• A positive patient experience every time
• A great place to work
• Managing our money well

As an organisation, we are serious about supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our local community and are very much focused on being an inclusive and compassionate place to work.

Across the North East and North Cumbria, we are working together to deliver our ambition to be the greenest region in England by 2030. All staff are expected to support sustainability.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities:

Please see attached job description and person specification for further information regarding the role and the essential and desirable criteria required to be met by applicants.

Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL). Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment. Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed.

If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or Armed Forces Covenant and you meet all the essential criteria for a post, you will be guaranteed an interview.

Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants moving to the region for certain posts. Please see our Policy for eligible vacancies.

Please ensure that you document evidence of meeting all the essential criteria in the supporting information. If sufficient response is received this post could be closed earlier than the specified closing date, please apply as soon as possible to ensure that your application is considered.

Important Information:

Candidates who have been successfully shortlisted for interview will be asked via an email notification to log on to their Trac account to select an interview time. This will usually be within 2 weeks of the closing date.

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• Junk Mail is checked regularly

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• Youths cautions, reprimands and final warnings will no longer be subject to automatic disclosure
• The multiple conviction rule has been removed, meaning that if an individual has more than one conviction, regardless of offence type or time passed, each conviction will be considered against the remaining rules individually, rather than being automatically disclosed.

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If Applicable To The Post:

Standard Check: £18 + Administration cost of £3.85 = £21.85. Deducted at £6.85 from 1st month salary and £5 deducted from salary over following 3 months.

Enhanced Check: £38 + administration cost of £3.90 = £41.90. Deducted at £11.90 from 1st month salary and £10 deducted from salary over following 3 months.

As part of one of the largest employers in the UK, NCIC future employees will have access to the following benefits:

• A lease car may be available for this position; further details will be provided upon appointment if applicable.
• 27-day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years
• Flexible working Scheme
• Excellent opportunities for development
• Competitive NHS Pension scheme
• Access to NHS discounts with retailers and leisure companies
• EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) a free, confidential counselling and information service to assist with personal or work-related problems

These schemes are subject to availability.

Person specification:

Qualifications:

• Honours degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences (or similar). Further education in Pharmacy Technical Services e.g. STP or PTQA, or relevant experience.

Desirable criteria:

• Postgraduate certificate or diploma in relevant field.
• Management and Leadership Training.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Good dispensing, distribution and manufacturing practice.
• Highly advanced knowledge and understanding principles of current GMP.
• Specialist knowledge of dealing with highly complex pharmaceutical issues which requires analysing information from a range of sources.
• Advanced knowledge of Quality Assurance and Pharmacy Quality Management Systems.
• Incident and error reporting.
• Developing and implementing procedures.
• A working knowledge of clinical information systems, pharmacy computer systems, MI databases, and other information systems.
• Significant experience of pharmacy technical service delivery.
• Specialist experience of dealing with highly complex pharmaceutical issues which requires analysing information from a range of sources.
• Experience of developing and implementing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and policies.
• Experience in designing and managing audit programmes.
• Experience of providing education and training.

Desirable criteria:

• Specialist knowledge of preparation under Section 10.
• Project management and service improvement experience.

Skills and Aptitudes:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - able to communicate in a highly complex service.
• Excellent literacy and numerical skills.
• Good computer skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Good organisational/project management skills and effective time management with the ability to prioritise.
• Aseptic preparation and dispensing of medicines.
• Ability to manage time, people and resources.
• Ability to identify and implement best practice.
• Ability to identify and manage risk.
• Able to motivate others.
• Able to organise and prioritise workload.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to make judgements based on incomplete or conflicting data using critical appraisal skills.
• Ability to form working relationships with a wide variety of people and to work as an effective team member.
• Ability to work calmly and accurately under pressure to meet required deadlines.

Desirable criteria:

• Coaching skills.
• Good presentation skills.
• Leadership skills.
• IT skills.

Other Requirements:

• Able to travel independently of public transport between sites.
• Weekend and out of hours cover on rota.
• Flexibility to the needs of the service.
• Commitment to continuing professional development.
• Flexibility with working hours/base to meet the needs of the service and patients.