Suppliers should in the first instance raise any anticipated or actual supply disruption through business as usual routes. For suppliers of medicines, the department’s Medicine Supply Team has well established procedures to deal with actual or potential medicine shortages and works closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England and NHS Improvement, the devolved administrations and others operating in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and minimise the risks to patients. By way of reminder, medicines suppliers have a statutory duty to provide early notification of supply disruptions to the department and contact details for the Medicines Supply Team are at the end of this letter. All other suppliers should raise supply issues through usual routes or the National Supply Disruption Response. National Supply Disruption Response The National Supply Disruption Response (NSDR) is the service for suppliers of all categories experiencing supply and logistics challenges. The NSDR is currently stood up in order to assist with the demands on supply across the workstreams as part of our response to COVID-19. Regardless of the COVID-19 situation, NSDR will be stood up for the end of the TP as a contingency measure. At present, supply issues not related to COVID-19 should be raised through business as usual routes. We will continue to ask health and social care service providers to avoid local stockpiling over and above business as usual ahead of 31 December as it is unnecessary and could cause shortages in other areas, which could put patient care at risk. Nor do patients need to stockpile medicines. Northern Ireland Protocol A ‘command paper’ setting out the UK’s approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP) has been published. This sets out the basis of the government’s approach to implementing the protocol. Further guidance relating to the detailed workings of the NIP will be provided in the coming weeks.