Job summary
- Main area
- Cancer pharmacy service
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 153-SP04954
- Employer
- University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Poole Hospital
- Town
- Poole
- Salary
- £47,810 - £54,710 pa
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 04/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Quality Assurance Lead - Band 7
Band 7
As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.
We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £250m estates programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.
In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.
We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.
We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.
At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.
As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.
We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support the preparation of their application. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of your own experience and suitability. Personal integrity is an important part of the recruitment process.
Job overview
Here at the University Hospitals Dorset , we are looking for a highly diligent conscientious professional to work as Quality Assurance Lead in the Aseptic Preparation Unit in Poole Hospital.
This is an exciting innovative role for a registered pharmacy professional to be imbedded within our UHD technical services team to assist the Accountable Pharmacists in managing the pharmacy QA & QC for the Cancer Services within UHD which is produced in the unlicensed aseptic preparation unit APU in Poole Hospital. Within our team we value all our team members and their development.
We are looking for a highly skilled pharmacy professional with significant experience and background of working in quality assurance from working in aseptic services or a manufacturing GMP environment.
The post holder will work alongside a team of pharmacy professionals to meet the quality and compliance demands of this diverse service. The role will provide QA & QC support and advice, conduct audits and drive quality improvements and be able to work as a product approver to release products prepared in APU.
The post holder will be a member of the Senior Aseptic Management Team and will have direct responsibility for managing the supporting QA technician.
The post is full time. Expected weekend shifts of 1 in 5 Sunday, and approximately one Bank Holiday shift per year.
Base Location: University Hospital Dorset - Poole hospital site
Interview Date: TBC
Main duties of the job
The Quality Assurance Lead will play a key role in the quality control, and safe dispensing of cytotoxic and immunotherapy agents prepared in the Aseptic Unit in Poole.
This role requires extensive QA & QC knowledge in Aseptic preparation of injectable cytotoxic and immunotherapy agents . Adherence to regulatory standards, and a commitment to ensuring the safety and efficacy of aseptic products. The QA lead will lead QA & QC operations in the Aseptic Preparation Unit, support the development and implementation of QMS, and provide mentorship to junior staff.
This person will be responsible for the effective management and submission of the required information and data according to iQAAPS (Quality Assurance of Aseptic Preparation Services) with includes performing internal audits and participating in external audits by regional QA and writing action plans and completing these actions in a timely manner.
The post holder will be responsible for managing the human resources of the QA team within aseptic services.
Working for our organisation
Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues. UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme. This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have about this at interview.
Please note if the role or service is relocated as part of a planned move, employees will not be eligible for excess mileage reimbursement. Travel from the potholder's home to the new work base will be considered a normal commute. Any other changes not related to this relocation will be managed according to the relevant Trust or National terms and conditions.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further details see main job description and personal specification for the role as Quality Assurance Lead.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Master’s degree in pharmacy or BTEC Applied Science & NVQ3 Pharmacy Services or equivalent
- Registered with the GPHC
- Accredited Product Approver & Accredited Pre and In Process Checker
- Management qualification or equivalent experience
- Good Clinical Practice for clinical trials.
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Assurance (PTQA)
- NVQ assessor to TAQA standard or equivalent
Desirable criteria
- Specialised knowledge of H&S, risk assessment and management, IOSHH managing safely or equivalent
- Member of Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK/ BOPA
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant and broad experience of working in NHS Technical Services section 10 or manufacturing units with considerable experience of QA required
- Demonstrated ability to undertake staff training, day to day management, motivation and appraisals and performance reviews of technical staff, managing staff sickness and disciplinary issues
- Previous experience as a lead technician within technical services and the release of medicinal products in a section 10 unit, with final decision making on fitness of the product for patient use.
- Experience of management and investigations of Quality Exceptions
- Experience in undertaking risk assessments
- Experience in taking part in an iQAAPS (Quality Assurance of Aseptic Preparation Services) audit and writing action plans.
- Experience in submitting KPI data on Quiqsolutions
Desirable criteria
- Experience of service development
- Recruitment and selection
- Knowledge of electronic prescribing systems e.g. Mosaiq, and other hospital pharmacy computer systems e.g. WellSky, LERNS,EPR, Q-Pulse, IQAAPS
- Teaching / coaching experience
Technical Skills Competencies
Essential criteria
- Ability to work under own initiative without close supervision
- Advanced oral and written communication skills – the ability to communicate confidently and effectively at different levels with various users of the service, including patients who may have language difficulties.
- Ability to communicate effectively in difficult/demanding circumstances.
- Ability to work under pressure, remains calm. Ability to work at speed accurately and concentrate for prolonged periods of time whilst able to deal with interruptions while maintaining accuracy.
- Ability to organise and prioritise work with regards to time management skills and the ability to meet deadlines
- Ability to analyse information and make judgements. Ability to use the technical knowledge, reasoning and professional judgement to critically review and assess highly complex data and information relating to facilities and products in order to evaluate their suitability for the intended use.
- Good presentation skills & project planning and implementation
- Information technology skills including Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint
- Familiar with use of QPulse
Desirable criteria
- QPulse Superuser or equivalent technical competency
- Knowledge of standard chemotherapy regimens
- Understanding of actions and uses of chemotherapy, and cancer in general
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Good clinical knowledge of current therapeutics and pharmacy practice
- In depth knowledge of current legislation and guidelines relating to pharmaceuticals QA and GMP, GCP and Quality Systems
- Knowledge of validation requirements for pharmaceutical facilities, equipment and processes
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of Codes of Practice / Customer Care / NHS plan for Pharmacy
- Knowledge of wider NHS agenda and issues General Pharmaceutical Council professional
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such 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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Jonathan Hughes or Denise Gibbbons
- Job title
- Lead Cancer Pharmacist Aseptic Services
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0300 019 3575
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