The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is changing the way it issues safety-critical alerts to healthcare providers.

From now on, all safety-critical alerts for medicines and medical devices that require action to be taken by healthcare organisations will be issued as National Patient Safety Alerts. These alerts follow criteria and a template agreed by the National Patient Safety Alerting Committee (NaPSAC).

This is to ensure that National Patient Safety alerts:

• are only issued for safety-critical issues (those that have a risk of death or disability) that require organisations to act
• explain risk clearly and effectively
• have required actions that have been assessed for feasibility, safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness
• can be quickly recognised and actioned by senior personnel
• have actions that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely).

Failure to take the actions required by any National Patient Safety Alert may lead to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) taking regulatory action in England.

All healthcare providers that currently receive medical device alerts and drug alerts should now ensure they subscribe to receive National Patient Safety Alerts here.

In the short term, drug alerts and medicines safety communications that do not meet the NaPSAC criteria will continue to be issued as per the current format and process while the MHRA consults with the health system and healthcare professionals to determine the best way for these to be issued going forward.

Safety communications for medical devices that do not meet the NaPSAC criteria will change and these changes will be communicated in due course.

NaPSAC consists of representation from all organisations that issue safety information to the NHS. It was established to improve the effectiveness of safety-critical communications and to support providers to better implement the required actions to ensure patients are protected.

The MHRA is the second organisation to be accredited to issue these alerts, after NHS England and Improvement’s National Patient Safety team.

For more information on National Patient Safety Alerts, please visit:

Thank you Madam President

The UK thanks Mr Salvioli for his report, and would like to make some remarks in relation to the report by his predecessor on his visit to Sri Lanka.

We welcome the report by Mr de Greiff and its recommendations. We also welcome your expressed interest in following up on it.

We share the concerns expressed regarding transitional justice in Sri Lanka. While we welcome the establishment of domestic mechanisms such as the Office of Missing Persons, the UK has made clear our profound disappointment at the Government’s decision to withdraw support for resolution 30/1. We believe the resolution is a powerful framework for achieving truth and justice.

Effective transitional justice is critical for sustainable reconciliation and peace. We note that previous domestic mechanisms have failed to deliver meaningful justice and accountability.

We share the concerns at the lack of meaningful progress on emblematic cases which embody the struggle of so many victims of conflict. We note with concern the increasing pressure on those members of civil society working for progress on transitional justice, given continued instances of surveillance, harassment and intimidation by security forces. These reports call into question the Government’s stated commitment to transitional justice.

The UK urges the Government of Sri Lanka to give detailed consideration to the recommendations in Mr Greiff’s report. We will continue to support those striving for progress on these issues in Sri Lanka.

The visit aimed to further promote the bilateral military cooperation between both countries’ armed forces. During his visit, DSAME held high-level meetings with senior representatives from the Egyptian Armed Forces and was accompanied by British Defence Attaché Captain (Royal Navy) Stephen Deacon. The meetings touched on military aspects of common interest including opportunities to conduct joint military and naval exercises. Views were also exchanged on the latest regional military developments and ways to maintain maritime security in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Making remarks at the end of his visit, Lieutenant General Lorimer said:

I am delighted to be back in Egypt and to meet my friends in the Egyptian Armed Forces. COVID-19 has been a challenge for us all, so I am glad to be able to return to Egypt, whilst observing sensible precaution measures. We have had excellent discussions about regional security, current challenges, and discussed how we might work together more closely, including joint military training, COVID-19 permitting. We are determined to continue to cooperate closely in our counter-terrorism efforts and recognise that we have many shared responsibilities and objectives for regional security.’

British Ambassador to Egypt Sir Geoffrey Adams said:

DSAME’s visit reaffirmed the UK and Egypt’s longstanding military and strategic partnership. The UK is committed to Egypt’s security and stability, and we look forward to continued cooperation to strengthen our defence relations.