Healthcare

Recent Articles

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  02/07/2025

  England and Wales

  Ap­pren­tice­ship funding reforms: Strategic investment or lost op­por­tun­it­ies?

  Last month the government announced a strategic shift in funding for Level 7 apprenticeships. From 1 January 2026 levy-paying employers will only be able to use the funds they have paid into the levy and will not receive additional co-investment for most learners aged 22 and over. In order to “back the next generation” and increase British workers’ skills, the government will increase its focus on training those aged 21 and under.[1] The change forms part of the government’s ‘Plan for Change’ which seeks to align immigration policy with domestic skills development...

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  26/06/2025

  Hungary

  Hungary to implement new laws on registration and termination procedures of legal entities in 2027

  On 1 January 2027, Hungary will replace the current laws regulating the registration, supervision and termination of legal entities with new legislation. These new laws will streamline and centralise the registration and oversight of legal entities, introducing new procedures and mechanisms to ensure their increased level of compliance.Hungary’s parliament has just adopted two acts implementing these systematic changes, the most important elements of which are the following:Unified registration system: the registration of all legal entities (i.e. all types of business associations, the Hungarian...

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  25/06/2025

  Europe

  Defining a patient population based on clinical trial results (T 2481/22)

  Clinical trial data is highly relevant to defining a patient population more likely to respond to a particular treatment. However, in recent Board of Appeal decision T 2481/22, the Patentee’s definition of the patient subgroup in the claims did not establish an inventive step. A later published clinical study provided further insights into additional patient selection criteria impacting the therapeutic response and which were not included in the patent claim.BackgroundThe patent in dispute (EP3148521) claims a pharmaceutical product comprising fluticasone furoate for use in the treatment...

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  25/06/2025

  Hungary

  Hungary amends FDI regime by adjusting deadlines and extending the scope of preemption rights

  The amendment extends the deadline provided to the Hungarian minister of domestic economy for the examination of transactions falling within the scope of the FDI Decree from 30 business days to 45 business days starting from the date of notification. This deadline may be further prolonged three times by 30 business days if the minister deems it necessary for the clarification of the transaction’s facts ahead of its decision on acknowledgement or prohibition of the transaction.In addition, if the minister prohibits a notified transaction, Hungary can exercise the right of pre-emption over...

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  25/06/2025

  England and Wales

  “A Matter of Life and Death”: Assisted dying bill clears the commons

  BackgroundIn a historic vote on 20 June 2025, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (the ‘Bill’) has passed its Third Reading in the House of Commons. The controversial Bill, which seeks to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, has been met with increased criticism and debate as it has progressed through the Commons. In Friday’s vote, it narrowly passed by a margin of 23 votes, compared to 55 votes at the Second Reading, with 24 MPs changing their stance to oppose the Bill. Similarly, 21 MPs who previously voted chose to abstain this time, indicating waning confidence...

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  25/06/2025

  United Kingdom

  Stopping social care visas - helpful or a hinderance to an already struggling sector?

  Recruitment and retention of staff within the social care sector has always been a challenge, for various reasons, including issues with pay and terms and also misconceptions about what such a role entails. The sector relies to some degree on international staff in order to maintain the services and understandably therefore, the government’s plans to end overseas recruitment in the  social care sector via the adult social care worker visa route and also make changes to the Skilled Worker visa route has caused alarm. Professor Martin Green, the chief executive of Care England, has commented...

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