One password is believed to have been all it took for a ransomware gang to destroy a 158-year-old company and put 700 people out of work.
The attached link to the BBC website gives the harrowing details of the loss of a company due to a cyber attack. The BBC reports that:
“KNP – a Northamptonshire transport company – is just one of tens of thousands of UK businesses that have been hit by such attacks. Big names such as M&S, Co-op and Harrods have all been attacked in recent months. The Chief Executive of Co-op confirmed last week that all 6.5 million of its members had had their data stolen.
In KNP’s case, it’s thought the hackers managed to gain entry to the computer system by guessing an employee’s password, after which they encrypted the company’s data and locked its internal systems”.
Action
Contractors are asked to:
Bring this to the attention of their staff; and
Note the attached information on ransomware provided by the National Cyber Security Centre which includes key messages to help prepare for and protect against ransomware attacks.
Contractors are reminded that the storage and back up of patient sensitive data and any amendments to your systems should only be carried out in line with advice from your IT or email supplier, PMR system provider and in line with Data Protection legislation.
Kind regards
Mike
SENT ON BEHALF OF PROF MIKE MAWHINNEY Head of Regulatory Affairs
This update contains important information for community pharmacy teams.
This letter was issued by SPPG on 20th June 2025 advising of the discontinuation of Freestyle Libre 2, Freestyle Libre 3 and Dexcom 1. Patients should be switched to suitable alternatives as outlined. Community pharmacies may wish to remind patients who have not yet been switched to contact their GP practice. If your local GP practice has not switched patients over, you may wish to remind them of the letter issued by SPPG outlining the action they are to take.
Pharmacy teams should be aware that the brand Otomize® ear spray has been discontinued and will no longer be available for community pharmacies to order once existing stock is exhausted. The manufacturer Ennogen Healthcare International Limited has instead launched a generic equivalent version as Dexamethasone/ Neomycin sulfate/ Acetic acid 0.1%w/w / 0.5%w/w / 2%w/w Ear Spray. The generic is now readily available to order from wholesalers. Where a prescriber has issued a prescription for Otomize® ear spray and the brand is unavailable to order, pharmacy teams are advised to contact the prescriber and request a replacement prescription for the generic Dexamethasone/ Neomycin sulfate/ Acetic acid 0.1%w/w / 0.5%w/w / 2%w/w Ear Spray. Furthermore, pharmacy teams are advised to check, when ordering, that the correct product is selected on systems i.e. Dexamethasone/ Neomycin sulfate/ Acetic acid 0.1%w/w / 0.5%w/w / 2%w/w Ear Spray instead of Otomize® ear spray. Should you require any further information, please contact Ennogen on 013 2262 9220 or email info@ennogen.com if you have any questions relating to the generic product.
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST OPPORTUNITY FOR PHARMACY TECHNICIANS & PHARMACY SUPPORT STAFF TO BE INVOLVED IN A PTRD WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SUB-GROUP
The Pharmacy Technician Regulation and Development (PTRD) Workforce Development subgroup is seeking to gather input from Pharmacy Technicians and Pharmacy Support staff to help highlight the range of interesting and rewarding roles that are available across all Pharmacy settings in Northern Ireland.
Please bring this to the attention of your pharmacy team(s).
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF Gerard Greene Chief Executive
Dear Colleague
I have been asked by Heather Moorehead, Director of the Northern Ireland Confederation for Health and Social Care (NICON) to circulate information associated with a process that NICON is taking forward to appoint a Primary Care Network Lead to help establish and lead a new Primary Care Network in Northern Ireland and, to encourage applications from the community pharmacy sector.
In December 2024, Minister of Health Mike Nesbitt published his Three Year Plan for Health and Social Care Northern Ireland (HSCNI). This was updated by a Reset Plan this week on 9th July 2025 with the plans setting out a clear aspiration to support moving care closer to home, using technology and investing in a much greater preventative approach. In this context there are significant opportunities for primary care stakeholders to play a key role in the delivery of these key strategic shifts.
Working closely with SPPG and local primary care stakeholders (including CPNI) and with the support of the NHS Confederation’s Primary Care Network, NICON has agreed that there is an opportunity to create a new Northern Ireland Primary Care Network.
NICON, on behalf of HSCNI, is now seeking to recruit a healthcare practitioner to establish and lead this new network. The Primary Care Network Lead will be a primary care clinician who will play a critical role in supporting the establishment and development of a thriving primary care network offering, which provides leadership and develops influential perspectives on behalf of primary care.
There is therefore a unique opportunity for a community pharmacist, who meets the role specification, to lead and play a formative role in both this new Primary Care Network and in the implementation of the Health Minister’s plans to modernise and reset the healthcare model in Northern Ireland as envisaged within the 3-Year HSCNI Plan and the Reset Plan.
Further information on this role is available here.
Please do not hesitate to contact CPNI offices ☎️(028) 9069-0444 should you require any additional information or if you wish to speak further about this unique opportunity.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
Dear Contractor
The Department of Health NI has issued correspondence dated 10 July 2025 regarding the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programme 2025/26.
SUMMARY
The correspondence includes the following key points:
The Seasonal Influenza Vaccination programme is expected to commence in NI in early October 2025 (exact dates to be confirmed in due course).
It is expected that most vaccinations will be administered by early December 2025 to ensure those considered most at risk are protected.
There will be some patient cohorts who can be vaccinated in September e.g. pregnant women.
Where possible, this year’s influenza programme should be delivered in conjunction with this autumn’s COVID-19 programme, in order to optimise vaccine uptake and to ensure resources are deployed effectively and efficiently for both programmes. Please note, unlike in previous campaigns, eligibility for the COVID-19 2025/26 programme will not align with eligibility for the influenza programme.
A small pool of Sessional Vaccinators, employed by the Public Health Agency, are available to support GPs and Community Pharmacy with co-administration of the COVID-19 and influenza programmes throughout the Autumn campaign. Further information on this workforce and requests for support can be raised by contacting the PHA at: PHAVaccinesitrep@hscni.net
Those eligible for influenza vaccine in 2025/2026 are:
all those aged 65 years and over on 31 March 2026
all those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by the influenza chapter in ‘Immunisation against infectious disease’ (the ‘Green Book’)
those in long-stay residential care homes
pregnant women
all preschool children aged two to four years on 1 September 2025
all school-aged children (up to and including year 12)
all children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to less than 18 years
carers
close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
high risk poultry and avian animal health workers
all health and social care workers
The Community Pharmacy Cohorts:
Community Pharmacies can vaccinate anyone from the following cohorts:
Health and Social Care workers
those aged 65 and over
for carers
for those aware of their ‘at risk’ status
those who are pregnant
All RQIA registered care home residents and staff
ACTION
Contractors providing vaccination services should review and note the DoH correspondence and share with relevant members of the pharmacy team.
Further operational information will be issued in due course.
Kind regards
SENT ON BEHALF OF GERARD GREENE Chief Executive
WhatsApp Business Terms of Service can be found here and privacy policy hereUCA-NI Privacy Policy We take your privacy seriously and do not share or sell any personal details with third parties for commercial purposes. If you have any questions, please contact the CPNI office. You can withdraw your consent to be contacted at any time by calling 028 9069 0444 or by emailing info@communitypharmacyni.co.uk. CPNI Data Protection Policy and Data Retention policy can be found Click Here
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