The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published its final draft guidance on the new CAR-T therapy, indicating that treatment can be considered for patients with a form of lymphoma. NICE has agreed a managed access agreement with the manufacturer Kite, a Gilead company, via the Cancer Drugs Fund. The agreement allows patients to have full access to Tecartus, a CAR-T therapy, in exchange for more data being collected. The CAR-T therapy is personalised, it collects the patient’s own white blood cells and reengineers them to attack blood cancer cells. The CAR-T therapy can treat around 100 patients each year, with ten NHS providers around the country being able to offer this treatment option. Consultees and commentators can appeal the recommendation of the committee until 2 February 2021.

The NHS Resolution has published a report recommending that training and risk assessments can assist in reducing workplace violence. The report found that providing a compassionate response and support package to staff affected by workplace violence is crucial for retaining, protecting, and ensuring their safety and well-being. The new report aligns with the findings in the Health and Safety Executive Violence at Work Statistics 2020 report. It highlighted that professionals face a higher-than-average risk of workplace violence. Experts from NHS England's Violence Prevention and Reduction team, The Social Partnership Forum, and the Health and Safety Executive have identified six key areas for NHS organisations to focus on to reduce violence in the workplace.

Law360: A locum consultant breast surgeon lost her bid to become a permanent employee at a London hospital trust after an appellate judge found that the trust was entitled to keep her on a fixed-term contract.

Law360: An employment tribunal has ruled that an NHS policy allowing transgender women to access female-only facilities discriminated against its mainly female staff, pointing out that the health service could have encouraged the use of gender-neutral toilets instead.

Law360, London: The Employment Appeal Tribunal has ruled that an NHS trust must pay three senior staff a total of almost £82,000 in redundancy payments after their refusal to accept suitable alternative roles in the organisation during a restructure was found not to have been unreasonable.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has reported that NHS England (NHSE) has published an update to the commercial framework for new medicines. This update follows a key commitment in the 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Pricing, Access, and Growth (VPAG) to improve patient outcomes by supporting access to cost-effective medicines. NHSE conducted two consultations in July 2024 on the commercial framework and budget impact test threshold. The updated framework now includes indication-specific pricing as an alternative to uniform pricing, with clearer criteria for securing such arrangements. Additionally, NHSE has committed to supporting data sharing for combination therapies, addressing the Competition and Markets Authority's framework for company collaboration on commercial agreements. The ABPI notes that while progress has been made, concerns remain about implementation and the restrictive nature of the 'at or below' principle in accessing commercial flexibility.

The National Health Service (NHS) has published its resolution’s annual report and accounts for 2023/24. The report highlights that a record 81% of claims in England, which amounts to over 1800 cases, were resolved in 2023 to 2024 without resorting to legal proceedings.

1. Nuclear Island (see: Nuclear Island) 2. Nuclear Institute: Created on the 1 January 2009 from the merger of the British Nuclear Energy Society and the Institution of Nuclear Engineers. The Nuclear Institute is a charity, professional institute and a learned society. The Institute offers a range of memberships from professorial level to layperson with an interest in nuclear matters.

The Northern Ireland (NI) Executive Office has reported that the Northern Irish First Minister, deputy First Minister and Justice Minister have written a joint letter to the Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business, Kevin Hollinrake, on the application of legislation to reverse the convictions of sub-postmasters in Northern Ireland. The First Minister for Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, has stated that the letter sets out a ‘clear opinion that any legislation to reverse the convictions of sub-postmasters must also apply’ in Northern Ireland. Northern Irish Justice Minister, Naomi Long, has added that ‘this is the fastest legislative solution and one that will see those affected in Northern Ireland receiving equitable treatment with their counterparts in the rest of the UK.’

The Northern Ireland Office (NI Office) has announced that the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill has been introduced into Parliament. The Bill has been proposed to extend the executive formation period to 8 February 2024, with the effect of postponing the Secretary of State's duty to call an election in Northern Ireland under section 32(3) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The Bill was introduced on 24 January 2024 and has gone through the first and second readings in the House of Commons.

The Northern Ireland (NI) Office and the Cabinet Office have published guidance on NI’s place in the UK internal market and customs territory. The guidance is for appropriate authorities on complying with section 46 of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (UKIMA 2020) and provides additional context on arrangements in the Windsor Framework and relevant domestic legislation upholding NI’s place in the UK internal market.

The Northern Ireland Office (NI Office) has published a statement by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris, following the failure of the Northern Ireland Assembly to elect a speaker. Heaton-Harris has stated that it was ‘disappointing’ but the government will ‘proceed with a pragmatic and reasonable approach to support Northern Ireland'.