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Roles and Responsibilities
Research Ethics Committees
Role
These are independent statutory bodies that include broad representation
including lay membership. Any research that involves individuals, their
tissue or data must have the prior approval of the appropriate Research
Ethics Committee. Their approval is part of the research governance process.
There are three types of Research Ethics Committees (RECs):
Central Office of Research Ethics Committees (COREC)
This office has overall responsibility for MRECs and LRECs.
It has responsibility for ethical approval, where required, on international
research.
Multi-centred Research Ethics
Committees (MRECs)
Where research is undertaken in more than one Strategic Health Authority
and ethical approval is required, it should be requested through an MREC.
Local Research
Ethics Committees (LRECs)
Where research is undertaken in a single Strategic Health
Authority (SHA) and ethical approval is required, it should be request
from an LREC in that SHA’s area.
Responsibilities
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Facilitating the good conduct of high
quality research with benefits for participants, services and society
at large. |
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The welfare and safety of individual research participants. |
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Providing clear and independent advice, within their
remit and terms of reference. |
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Reviewing advice on the ethical acceptability of
a study in the light of progress reports from studies. |
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Ethical committees have no legal liability for their
decisions and cannot give legal advice. It is the researchers and
the NHS or care organisation that have this responsibility. |
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