AQW 49013/22-27

Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 18/06/2026
Answered On Date: 09/07/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for an update on any work his Department is undertaking to progress the delivery of CAR-T Therapy.

Answer:

Patients in Northern Ireland continue to have access to chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR‑T) treatments in line with Circular HSC (SQSD) 12‑22 – NICE Technology Appraisals: Process for Endorsement, Implementation, Monitoring and Assurance in Northern Ireland. This framework ensures that effective and innovative new medicines are introduced in a timely and equitable manner.

Where CAR‑T treatments are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), patients in Northern Ireland will be able to access them on the same basis as patients in other parts of the UK, through the established referral pathways to trusted specialist centres across the wider NHS.

As you will be aware from previous correspondence, the development of a CAR-T service in Northern Ireland is currently linked to the planned development of the haematology ward at the Belfast City Hospital site and my department remains committed to ensuring that patients can access care as close to home as possible where this can be delivered safely and sustainably.

To support this aim, my officials are working with the Belfast Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust to identify opportunities to accelerate the introduction of CAR-T therapy for patients in Northern Ireland. This includes progressing the ancillary services required to support accreditation ahead of the new facility opening, helping to shorten the pathway to service implementation. The pace of this work will depend on the availability of funding to recruit the specialist staff needed.