Senior Aseptic Assistant in Sutton

An exciting and unique opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, dynamic and self-motivated professional to join our aseptic team at the Sutton site of the Royal Marsden. You will be part of a team consisting of Pharmacists, Technicians and Assistants, who are always striving for excellence in all aspects of our work. We are working collaboratively as part of a Multi-Disciplinary Team to ensure we always deliver outstanding care to our patients.

It is an exciting time to join the Royal Marsden Hospital Aseptic Department. Our service is built around providing a high-quality service to our patients and staff of the Trust. The department works closely with the Institute of Cancer Research and the post-holder will be supporting the development of innovative new cancer medicines as these drugs enter early phase clinical trials. The Oak Cancer Centre (a new, state-of-the-art treatment and research facility) opened in June 2023 in Sutton which will speed up the translation of world-leading research into breakthroughs in treatment and care, transforming the lives of cancer patients at The Royal Marsden and beyond.

The hospital introduced the EPIC digital health record system in March 2023 and are looking to become a truly paperless department in 2026. This year a brand-new state of the art aseptic suite will be opening at the Sutton site to facilitate the growth of the aseptic service.

The Job Description outlines the roles of the Senior Aseptic Assistant, Aseptic Services. You will work closely with and support the Chief Technician and Deputy Chief Technician in the day to day running of the Technical Services aseptic suite, providing a quality, GMP compliant service, supplying aseptically prepared medicines including clinical trials, in a timely manner to all service users.

You will also work in the support areas of the aseptic suite setting up product trays for products to be made and carrying out the compounding of aseptic products including gene therapy. All our staff work closely with our 3rd party providers to order, process, and distribute bought-in pre-ordered IV products. You will become fully trained and accredited in all processes appropriate to the Band 3 role including assembly, 1st dispense check process and compounding. Full training will be given in all aspects of the role. A Band 2 position may be offered to applicants with no experience and robust objectives would be set to be achieved in order to progress to a Band 3 level.

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals – one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey – as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital.

At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That's why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.

At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on-going achievements.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Assist in the maintenance of Technical Services facilities as defined in Good Manufacturing Practice and to comply with current NHS guidance on Aseptic Processing.
• Become familiar with Standard Operating Procedures and COSHH forms for Technical Services.
• Complete the in-house training programme and the in-house accreditation programme according to grade and responsibility.
• Gain an in-depth knowledge and skill in the handling and compounding of cytotoxic medicines, biological medicines and other medicines.
• Assemble, spray and wipe, prepare/compound products, using aseptic technique in a grade A environment.
• Dispense, label and assist in the distribution of compounded products to patients.
• Support the Technical Services management team in the training of new operatives.
• Dispose of Technical Services waste appropriately according to SOP.
• Cleaning of the aseptic unit environment and equipment as required.
• Occasionally participate with late/early shifts and Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday rotas as required to meet service provisions and requirements for 7 day working.
• Liaise with the clinical trial team on the manufacturing requirements of clinical trial products.
• Contribute to the development and transfer of trial products as well as new aseptically prepared products into the manufacturing process.
• Help with efficient stock control of medicinal products ensuring correct storage and rotation of medicines.

Person specification

• Education/Qualifications: GCSE level (Grade A-C in English and Maths) or equivalent.
• NVQ level 2/SMPO Qualification in Pharmacy Practice or equivalent experience.
• Experience: Previous satisfactory performance in a busy team-orientated environment.
• Experience of working in a hospital compounding unit or pharmaceutical industry (preferably in a clean room environment).
• Knowledge of the Principles of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
• Awareness of handling anti-cancer products.
• Experience in a Quality Assurance environment including monitoring and validation.

Skills Abilities/knowledge

• Ability to communicate effectively in clear English with members of the public and with other health care professionals.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and with staff at all levels.
• Time management / Organisational / Problem solving Skills; ability to prioritise own workload and that of others and to manage own time effectively.
• Computer skills: ability to use Microsoft Office applications.
• Training Skills: ability to train/coach/teach tasks to other assistants.
• Experience with EPIC -computer system.

Other Requirements

• Ability to work under pressure whilst maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
• Adaptable and flexible, to be able to adapt to changes in procedures and practices.
• Patient Care; must be committed to safe and effective patient care.
• Reliable with a good attendance record.
• Demonstrate initiative: proactive and self-motivated.
• Well presented.
• Ability to successfully pass validations and accreditations as per unit SOPs.
• Satisfactory standard DBS check.

The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.

All applicants will be contacted by email to the address supplied on your application. Applicants are advised to check their email accounts regularly and to ensure that email filters are set to allow our emails.

Flu Vaccination – What We Expect of our Staff

At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the utmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.