A massive team effort from everyone at Huddersfield Pharmacy Specials (HPS) - across the car park from Acre Mills - has meant the plant has a greater capacity for producing medicines.

Everyone in the team has been thanked as HPS celebrated the development with a "grand opening".

Managing Director of HPS, Dr Burrinder Grewal, left, said “The installation of the new Water for Injections (WFI) still, and all the new infrastructure related to it required a huge effort from colleagues for which I and the Senior Management team are very grateful. Without the coming together of staff and staff being flexible this project would not have been possible or been successfully delivered.

"We look forward now to being able to manufacture higher volumes of medicines and increase our capacity to produce both sterile and non-sterile medicines.” 

Non-Executive Director, Richard Hopkin, right, said:  "These are very exciting times for HPS. This WFI investment represents another major step forward for the company on the back of a strong financial performance in 2018/19 and some excellent new contract wins in recent months. Many congratulations on these achievements on behalf of the CHFT Board’. 

Project Otley was launched with the aim of working with Estates, Procurement and external contractors to deliver a modern, reliable system for the generation of Water for Injections (WFI).

Huddersfield Pharmacy Specials (HPS) holds a Manufacturer’s Specials Licence and manufactures a range of medicines which are used for the treatment of patients both here and at other NHS hospitals.

HPS uses WFI as its primary process water for the manufacture of non-sterile and sterile medicines. WFI is generated from raw water primarily by distillation ie the water is boiled and then recondensed from steam, this process removes both dissolved solids and any microbial contamination present in the water.

The project aim was to replace the existing WFI still  - and associated pretreatment system - into a new plant room and to provide services to the equipment including steam, electrical power, feedwater and drainage.

Following business case approval and capital allocation in April 2018, works commenced in August 2018 and were completed on schedule by January 2019.

HPS worked with colleagues in CHFT Estates and Procurement to commission the required works including:

• Procurement of a replacement WFI still using modern multi-effect technology,
• Construction of the plant rooms and associated services to support the new still,
• Modifications to the existing WFI distribution and control systems.

Operating under the Procure 22 framework CHT engaged Interserve PLC to design, procure and install the plant services required for the new equipment and LendLease to provide project management and integration support. Working together the partnership delivered the scheme objectives on time and to cost with minimal disruption to the operation of the medicines manufacturing service. The new equipment is now generating 500 litres per hour of WFI for use in manufacturing a wide range of medicines for patients.