The MHRA and Northern Ireland partners are working together to support innovation, enhance patient safety and ensure people in Northern Ireland benefit from world-class regulation.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and partners across Northern Ireland led by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland are pleased to confirm a strengthened programme of collaboration designed to support innovation, enhance patient safety and ensure people in Northern Ireland continue to benefit from world-class regulation of medicines and medical technologies.
As part of this growing partnership:
We will expand the use and visibility of the MHRA Yellow Card scheme across Northern Ireland, building on existing work to strengthen surveillance of medicines and medical devices. This enhanced focus will support earlier detection of safety issues and reinforce our shared commitment to protecting patients.
We will continue to work together with Northern Ireland partners to ensure participation in cutting-edge research, accelerating the development of new therapies and reinforcing our shared ambition to improve health outcomes through evidence-based innovation.
We will establish an MHRA presence in Northern Ireland, providing a clear point of contact for local partners and supporting closer partnerships and engagement with industry, academia and the health system.
We will explore opportunities for the development of regulatory science and innovation in Northern Ireland, recognising the potential value this support could bring to clinical and regulatory science collaboration.
Together, these actions mark a significant step in deepening our partnership, supporting innovation in Northern Ireland's life sciences sector and ensuring the highest standards of safety to make a positive impact in patients' lives.
This statement builds on commitments to collaborate that emerged from the first ever MHRA Board meeting held in Belfast in November 2025, co-chaired by MHRA Chair Professor Anthony Harnden and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for Northern Ireland, Professor Cathy Harrison. It demonstrates the MHRA's commitment to deepen cross-UK partnerships with health partners in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
