Specialist unit reopens at K&C after major refurbishment

Hidden away at the back of the Kent and Canterbury Hospital is a vital unit that helps ensure some of the sickest patients receive their treatment.

The aseptic unit is where medication for cancer patients across east Kent is made, as well as other critical treatments that need to be prepared shortly before use.

It is staffed by a team of highly trained pharmacy technicians, technical officers, and science manufacturing technicians, and has just re-opened after a major refurbishment.

Aseptic services manager Jenny Clements said: “The investment in the unit means that we can continue providing these essential treatments, preparing them on-site for each individual patient.

“We had to shut down for four months during the work, which meant ordering and buying in a lot of the treatments to enable the service to continue which significantly increased costs.

“It also meant we could not be as responsive as usual if a patient was delayed, and some of the medication has a very short shelf life and expired before it could be used.

“It was a huge project and I’m very grateful to colleagues in our pharmacy quality assurance and procurement teams for their support, as well as the cancer services team and everyone that worked collaboratively with us to minimise any disruption to our patients.”

The refurbishment included creating a new cold room, new work surfaces, flooring, new air filters and the addition of new transfer hatches to help with controlling the environment.

The unit is required to be microbial/bioburden controlled during daily production sessions, minimising the microbial risk to our patients through the delivery of safe treatments.  This is achieved through the use of a media known as agar to continually monitor and challenge cleaning processes and the operators validated to work within this unique behind-the-scenes environment.

All consumables used to prepare these individual treatments undergo a disinfectant process using antimicrobial products that are manually applied.  The service is not automated and staff are highly trained in these procedures. They wear full personal protective equipment including gowns and masks, and treatments are made in isolators.

Medication can be kept chilled in a special cold room, and is prepared specifically for each patient, with a shelf-life of between 24 hours and seven days. Up to 3,500 treatments are prepared and dispensed each month, and the unit operates a six-day week service.

Jenny said: “We treat the sickest of patients, so minimising potential harmful bacteria or fungi in the unit is paramount.

“We never get to meet our patients but we are absolutely committed to keeping them safe, and playing a role in their critical treatment.”

Jenny joined the team after a career in retail, which led to her training as a pharmacy technician for Sainsbury’s.

She initially worked for the Trust’s pharmacy dispensary at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, before moving to the dispensary at K&C. She joined the aseptic unit in 2017.

She said: “We have some patients that need treatment over many years so you do feel like you get to know them without actually meeting them in person.

“Cancer is not the death sentence it used to be and many of our patients are able to live their lives with the treatments we prepare.

“There are so many new treatments coming through, and we prepare a lot for clinical trials which is really interesting to be part of.

“It is good to know we are able to make a difference to our patients and their families.”