Across:
8 Country (MEXICO) doctor (Medical Officer = M-O) covers for former partner (-EX-) in charge (-IC-) (MEXICO),
9 Merits in (merits in) novel (= anagram indicator) (merits in = MINISTER) produced by mass producer? (MINISTER),
10 Hits a brick wall on both sides (‘HIts a brick waLL’ on both sides = HILL) of Dublin terrace (HILL),
11 Unsympathetic (INTOLERANT) to one (I-) new (-N-) patient (-TOLERANT) (INTOLERANT),
12 Eccentric type (MISFIT) of independent (-I-) party (Sinn Féin = -SF-) embedded in American college (Massachusetts Institute of Technology = M-IT) (MISFIT),
14 Circle (TURN-) plate (-COAT) (TURNCOAT) was on one side of table and is now on the other side (TURNCOAT),
15 Money matters (FINANCE) to 9 across (‘minister’ = MINISTER) (FINANCE MINISTER), as it’s a taxing job (FINANCE MINISTER),
18 Merciless type (RUTHLESS) of woman (RUTH-) from Takeaway (-LESS) (RUTHLESS),
20 Lost (-L-) in wild (= anagram indicator) reeds (reeds = E-DERS) (ELDERS) out of the forest (ELDERS /trees),
22 Italicised (italicised = IDEALISTIC) type (= anagram indicator) is fanciful (IDEALISTIC),
24 Backing (= reversal indicator) up (up = (PU-) British politician (-MP) (PUMP) – the one on his bike! (PUMP),
25 Is Grant’s (is Grant’s = STAR SIGN) boss (= anagram indicator) in 1 down, for example? (‘Gemini’ = STAR SIGN),
26 Knock (Knock SHRINE) a Scot leaving chain stores (‘a Scot’ leaving ‘chain stores’ = hinres = SHRINE).
Down:
1 Ran away from remaining (‘ran’ away from ‘remaining’ = emiing = GEMINI) twins (GEMINI),
2 Medicinal herb (DILL) for some induced illness (some ‘induceD ILLness’ = DILL),
3 Spring (hop), for the most part (p) (‘hop’ without ‘p’ = HO-), is on schedule (-LIST-) in charge (-IC) (HOLISTIC) of this type of overall treatment (HOLISTIC),
4 Served up (= reversal indicator) sample of spaghetti meals (sample of ‘spaghetTI MEals’ = time = EMIT) to give out (EMIT),
5 Is fond of the cast (ANGLER) looking to get to grips with Moby Dick perhaps (ANGLER),
6 Loses the head (p) with tweet (‘post’ without ‘p’ = OST-) brought up (raised = -RA-ISED) about college (-C-) (OSTRACISED) that’s blacklisted (OSTRACISED),
7 Return to the fray (RE-ENGAGE) for plum-like fruit (greengage) without a starter (g) (‘greengage’ without ‘g’ = reengage = RE-ENGAGE),
13 Expose oneself illegally (FLASH) to plague (plague/hound = HARRY) (FLASH HARRY) local English spiv (FLASH HARRY),
14 Stands in (TEMPS) for De Niro when not in Redemptions (‘De Niro’ when not in ‘Redemptions’ = empts = TEMPS),
16 Turn a blind eye without Beryl (‘turn a blind eye’ without ‘Beryl’ = tunainde = INUNDATE) Flood (flood/overwhelm = INUNDATE),
17 Lack of a defence (NO EXCUSE) for former partner (EX-) consumed by UNESCO (UNESCO) collection (= anagram indicator) (UNESCO = NO -CUSE) (NO EXCUSE),
19 Turns up (= reversal indicator) bug (rile = EL-IR) catches one (-I-) mystery man (-X-) (ELIXIR) offering magic potion (ELIXIR),
21 Take one back (REMIND one) for short (i) dress (‘mini’ without ‘i’ = -MIN-) in red (RE-D) (REMIND),
23 Airs from Tsarina’s (‘airs’ from ‘Tsarinas’ = tnas = TANS) colourful types (TANS),
24 Job in the theatre (PART) limits Patrick Stewart (limits ‘PAtrick StewaRT’ = PART).