We ensure that regulation of health and social care research is proportionate, focusing on the issues that matter to protect the interests of the people that take part.
All health and social care research involving people, their tissue or their data must be approved before it can start, protecting the interests of the people taking part. Science moves quickly and new research techniques raise new questions that need new approaches to ensure this is always the case.
A lighter-touch proportionate review process has long existed for research proposals that raise no material ethical issues, and we’re working to make ethics review more innovative, efficient, proportionate and trusted. Scroll down to see how.
Ethics approval
- Ethics review of clinical trials of medicines takes a median of 25 days, with 99% completed in 60 days.
Ethical review of CTIMPs (non-combined) (2021 January to October figures)
- Research proposals that raise no material ethical issues go through proportionate review, a third faster than full ethics review - 19 days compared with 30 days.
These figures are based on the average median timelines of the last four full years of data, 2017-2020
Ensuring consistent ethics review
The members of Research Ethics Committees (REC) in the UK take part in shared ethical debates. These identify and build consensus on emerging ethical issues, address inconsistencies and increase the skills and expertise of REC members.
Think Ethics
We want to make ethics review more innovative, efficient and trusted. We’re listening to feedback and working with partners to make change happen
- good for researchers who can be confident of an efficient, proportionate review process
- good for people taking part in research who can be confident that their interests are effectively protected and promoted
Dr Susan Kohlhaas, Director of Research, Alzheimer’s Research UK'It’s great to be part of this group that aims to streamline processes and support more research that can ultimately benefit patients and research participants.'
Joanna Doleman, Senior Research Governance Manager, Wellcome Sanger Institute'I am excited to be involved in reviewing and improving current practices, making sure the information for participants meets all requirements, whilst also ensuring researchers receive a streamlined, consistent review.'