Health Research Authority launched

A new authority has been launched to help improve health research regulation.

The Health Research Authority (HRA) was unveiled as a Special Health Authority (SpHA) with a central role to protect and promote the interests of patients and the public in health research.

It will co-operate with other bodies to combine and streamline the current approval system and promote consistent, proportionate standards for compliance and inspection.

The move will reduce the regulatory burden on research-active businesses, universities and the NHS, and improve the efficiency and robustness of decisions about research projects.

Initially, the HRA will have the National Research Ethics Service (NRES) as its core and has taken on the functions which have been the responsibility of the National Patient Safety Agency but later it will be involved in approving the processing of patient information for medical research.

NRES Director Janet Wisely, who is the interim Chief Executive while recruitment of the Chair and Chief Executive takes place in the New Year, said: “The ambitions for the HRA are vital and real and we have published today our plans for the coming few months.

“These will provide tangible improvements as we work with colleagues to unify approval processes for research and to establish a consistent national system of research governance.”

The Minister for Health, Earl Howe said: “The HRA will protect the interests of patients and the public taking part in research and will benefit both the research community and the life sciences sector by simplifying and streamlining the regulatory processes associated with health and care research.”

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