Tribute: Bryan Holroyd Hartley

I first met Bryan some 50 years ago. We both joined Wyeth after each working for a couple of other companies. Bryan was with product development, based at the company headquarters in Taplow, and I looked after sterile production at the Havant factory. Bryan specialised in tablet production, and was busy getting us up to standard for the upcoming Medicines Act of 1968.

We became firm friends. We both, at the same time, applied to become inspectors at the Department of Health and Social Security, Medicines Division, and we both got accepted. We joined the inspectorate on the same day in August 1971. A young principal officer told us, “You are joining the Department of Health. It is different from industry. Remember, you must never embarrass the minister.” She then presented us each a paperweight and a stapler! We asked ourselves: what does she mean? It came to us later. The minister makes policy, and publicly you must never contradict them.

Bryan quickly got promoted to principal inspector, but soon went on a crash course to join the administrative branch and went to work for the minister. He later came back as director of the inspection/enforcement branch of the Medicines Control Agency (now part of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency). His effect was soon noticeable, and he brought to the inspectorate a wide variety of new ideas.

He instigated a new computerised system and developed a succession of programmes. Bryan also introduced ISO 9000 for the inspectorate — a worldwide first for any such government organisation. In short, he was a visionary. He then left to become chief pharmacist at the Department of Health in Whitehall.

He is sadly missed.