News summary

North East and North Cumbria (NENC) ICB are seeking system-wide views on adoption of a NENC Green+ Information leaflet: Efmody for the treatment of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

This consultation is open for 4 weeks and closes at 5pm on Wednesday 12th August 2026. Visit the consultation page here.

---

North East and North Cumbria (NENC) ICB are seeking system-wide views on adoption of a NICE 30-day TA for atogepant for treating migraine.

This consultation is open for 2 weeks and closes at 5pm on Wednesday 15th July 2026. Visit the consultation page here.

---

North East and North Cumbria (NENC) ICB are seeking system-wide views on two new consultations:

• Constipation guidelines for adults.
• Melatonin prescribing – supporting information

Comments are welcomed from across the system, including residents and patients of NENC. Comments will be returned to NTAG or one of its subgroups and used to inform implementation of the decisions in NENC.

These consultations will run for four weeks and close at 5pm on Wednesday 24^th June 2026. All active consultations can be accessed at https://ntag.nhs.uk/consultations/.

---

North East and North Cumbria (NENC) ICB are seeking system-wide views on five new consultations:

• NICE TAs published in April 2026.
• Position statement: promethazine in primary care
• Primary care information for azithromycin (green plus)
• Contraception in primary care: Prescribing, troubleshooting and signposting guideline
• Position statement: Primary Care Prescribing of Vitamin B12

Comments are welcomed from across the system, including residents and patients of NENC. Comments will be returned to NTAG or one of its subgroups and used to inform implementation of the decisions in NENC.

These consultations will run for four weeks and close at 5pm on Monday 8th June 2026. All active consultations can be accessed at https://ntag.nhs.uk/consultations/.

---

An updated version of the NENC Oral Antipsychotics – Safe Prescribing Pathway has been published at: https://ntag.nhs.uk/guidelines/

Updates are as follows:

• 03: Annual Monitoring – link to CNTW Guidance on Managing the Effects of Psychotropic Drugs on Prolactin added.

---

North East and North Cumbria (NENC) ICB are seeking system-wide views on adoption of NENC Formulary Working Group actions from March 2026.

This consultation is open for 4 weeks and closes at 5pm on Thursday 30th April 2026. Visit the consultation page here.

---

The medicines decisions made at the NENC Clinical Effectiveness and Governance (CEG) Subcommittee March 2026 meeting can now be found at: https://ntag.nhs.uk/meetings/decision-summaries/

This includes the recommendations made by NTAG at its March 2026 meeting and NICE Technology appraisals from the 1st December 2025 to 31^st January 2026.

The following new guidelines were approved and can be found at:

• NENC Oral Antipsychotics – Safe Prescribing – https://ntag.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NENC-Oral-antipsychotics-Safe-Prescribing-v1-approved-March-2026.pdf

The following reviewed guidelines were approved and can be found at:

• NENC Clozapine Supporting guidance for primary care – updates per March 2026 CEG decision summary https://ntag.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NENC-Clozapine-Supporting-guidance-for-primary-care-v2-approved-March-2026.pdf
• Finerenone for treating chronic kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes – no updates made https://ntag.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NENC-Finerenone_CKD_type-2-diabetes_v6-approved-March-2026.pdf

The following updated guidelines were approved and can be found at:

• North East North Cumbria (NENC) ICB Medicines Committee Position Statement on Prescribing in Persistent Pain – updates per March 2026 CEG decision summary. Updated to reflect updated Opioids Aware guidance from Faculty of Pain Medicine https://ntag.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NENC-ICB-position-statement-non-palliative-care-use-of-opiates-update-Feb-2026.pdf
• NENC guideline for management of osteoporosis in primary care – updates per March 2026 CEG decision summary. https://ntag.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NENC-ICS-guideline-for-management-of-osteoporosis-in-primary-care-approved-Jan-2026-v9.1-updated-March-2026.pdf

The following new shared care guidelines were approved and can be found at:

• NENC Valproate SCG https://ntag.nhs.uk/shared-care-guidelines/

The following reviewed and updated shared care guidelines were approved and can be found at:

• NENC Shared Care Protocol – Amiodarone for patients in adult services – technical updates as per change table on front page and March 2026 CEG decision summary. https://ntag.nhs.uk/shared-care-guidelines/
• NENC Shared Care Protocol – Dronedarone for patients in adult services technical updates as per change table on front page and March 2026 CEG decision summary. https://ntag.nhs.uk/shared-care-guidelines/

The following shared care guidelines have had their review date extended:

• NENC Shared Care Protocol – Lithium for adult patients within mental health services – extended to July 2026 https://ntag.nhs.uk/shared-care-guidelines/
• NENC Shared Care Protocol – Azathioprine and mercaptopurine within adult services (non-transplant indications) – extended to September 2026 https://ntag.nhs.uk/shared-care-guidelines/
• NENC Shared Care Protocol – Ciclosporin (oral) for patients within adult services (non-transplant indications) – extended to September 2026 https://ntag.nhs.uk/shared-care-guidelines/
• NENC Shared Care Protocol – Hydroxychloroquine for patients within adult services – extended to September 2026 https://ntag.nhs.uk/shared-care-guidelines/
• NENC Shared Care Protocol – Leflunomide for patients within adult services – – extended to September 2026 https://ntag.nhs.uk/shared-care-guidelines/
• NENC Shared Care Protocol – Methotrexate (oral and subcutaneous) for patients in adult services (excluding cancer care) – extended to September 2026 https://ntag.nhs.uk/shared-care-guidelines/
• NENC Shared Care Protocol – Mycophenolate mofetil and mycophenolic acid in adults (non-transplant indications) – extended to September 2026 https://ntag.nhs.uk/shared-care-guidelines/
• NENC Shared Care Protocol – Sulfasalazine for patients within adult services- extended to September 2026 https://ntag.nhs.uk/shared-care-guidelines/

---

An updated version of the NENC Shared Care Protocol – Methylphenidate for patients within children’s services has been published at: https://ntag.nhs.uk/shared-care-guidelines/

Updates are as follows:

• Changes to wording in the introduction to provide place of methylphenidate in giggle incontinence
• Updated recommended initiation and maintenance doses in giggle incontinence
• Updated information on regular review by the specialist team for the indication of giggle incontinence
• Change from paediatric nephrology specialist to paediatric bladder and bowel specialist service throughout with reference to the indication of giggle incontinence

---

North East and North Cumbria (NENC) ICB are seeking system-wide views on two new consultations:

• NICE TAs published in February 2026.
• NENC Deciding Right end of life and palliative care guidance

Comments are welcomed from across the system, including residents and patients of NENC. Comments will be returned to NTAG or one of its subgroups and used to inform implementation of the decisions in NENC.

These consultations will run for four weeks and close at 5pm on Tuesday 7th March 2026. All active consultations can be accessed at https://ntag.nhs.uk/consultations/.

---

Following approval at the January 2026 NENC Clinical Effectiveness and Governance (CEG) Subcommittee the following guidelines have now been published on the NTAG website:

• NENC Shared Care Protocol – Cinacalcet for the management of complex primary hyperparathyroidism in adults https://ntag.nhs.uk/shared-care-guidelines/

---