4 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Newport will be home of NHS radioactive injectables facility
The radiopharmacy will manufacture life-saving treatments for use across South East Wales from the former Essentra packing plant on Imperial Park industrial estate in the city.
The medicines produced at the site, primarily used in diagnostic scans, are essential for identifying serious conditions such as cancer.
Jeremy Miles, cabinet secretary for health and social care, said: "It's been great to see the progress to build a new radiopharmacy facility at Imperial Park.
"Radiopharmaceuticals are highly-specialised medicines essential for many procedures and treatments used by the NHS.
"I'm delighted the Welsh Government is providing the funding to make this happen.
"This new facility will benefit people across South East Wales and ensure the NHS has access to the specialist medicines it needs.
"Radiopharmacy is part of the plans to increase NHS Wales' capacity to produce specialist anti-cancer therapies, intravenous nutrition and other sterile medicines.
"The Imperial Park site will be central to transforming the availability of these medicines in Wales."
Funded through the Welsh Government's capital programme, the £7.6 million development forms part of the wider £67 million Transforming Access to Medicines (TrAMs) plan, which aims to modernise pharmacy technical services across Welsh hospitals.
The radiopharmacy will support growing demand for diagnostic scans that rely on radioactive injectables, some of which have a shelf life of only a few hours due to radioactive decay.
By improving the supply chain and production capacity, the facility will help ensure that these time-sensitive medicines reach patients promptly.
Neil Frow, managing director of NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership which will run the project, said: "We are pleased to host the cabinet secretary in Newport today to see the difference this radiopharmacy facility will make to patients across South East Wales first hand.
"Thanks to Welsh Government funding, NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership can ensure we have the capacity to make and deliver vital high quality medicines to hospitals across this part of Wales, which will improve patient care and drive down waiting times.
"This facility is a key milestone and we are proud to be at the forefront of making sure pharmacy technical services across NHS Wales are fit for the future."
Construction began in June and the facility is expected to be operational by spring 2026.
The site will not serve patients directly but will supply health boards with the injectables needed for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in hospitals.
