Important Announcement
Update on AAPEC Ethics Committees.
25th January 2012.
The AAPEC has completed a consultation on the revised governance arrangements for research ethics committees (GafREC) with its 5 Ethics committees; Yorkshire Independent Ethics Committee (YIREC), Welwyn Clinical Pharmacology Ethics Committee (WCPEC), Edinburgh Independent Ethics Committee for Medical research (EIECMR), Plymouth Independent Research Ethics Committee (PIREC) and Capenhurst Independent Research Ethics Committees (CIREC). This consultation ended on 15th August 2011. The main purpose of this consultation was to ascertain if the AAPEC ECs were willing to continue to operate under the terms and conditions of the new GafREC. Some of the committees were unwilling to operate under the terms and conditions of the revised GafREC. Subsequent to the end of the consultation, the PIREC and YIREC have now chosen not to continue as committees under the new Health Research Authority (HRA).
Latest Update:
The WCPEC has agreed to continue as a functioning committee for the review of Phase 1 CTIMPs in healthy volunteers, and will be reconstituted as an NHS REC from 1st February 2012. Its committee membership remains largely the same as when it was previously an AAPEC appointed committee. It is likely that the committee will provide ethical review of other Phase of CTIMPs and eventually other types of research. The WCPEC will continue to act as Named SSA REC for Paraxel , Harrow London and GlaxoSmith Kline, Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cambridge. The committee will be administered b y NRES staff and contact details will be available on the NRES website www.nres.nhs.uk.
The YIREC has now informed AAPEC that it will not continue as a committee from 31st January 2012. The YIREC will be completing final favourable decisions on already reviewed studies and amendments in its workload pipeline until the 31st January 2012. Historical study files will be transferred to the Greater Manchester Central NHS REC by 31st January 2012, who will handle downstream work such as safety reports, end of study reports and amendments for studies historically reviewed by the YIREC.
The YIREC will cease acting as the named SSA REC for Covance on 31st January 2012. From 1st February 2012 the new named SSA REC for Covance will be the NRES Northern and Yorkshire REC.
The CIREC ceased as a committee on 30th November 2011. Historical study files are now being managed by the Greater Manchester Central NHS REC, who handle downstream work such as safety reports, end of study reports and amendments for studies historically reviewed by the CIREC.
The CIREC ceased acting as the named SSA REC for Quotient Nottingham on 30th September 2011. From 1st October 2011 the new named SSA REC for Quotient Nottingham has been Nottingham 2 NHS REC.
The EIECMR ceased to operate as a committee on 31st December 2011. Historical study files have been transferred South East Scotland NHS Ethics Service, who will handle downstream work such as safety reports, end of study reports and amendment for studies historically reviewed by the EIECMR.
The EIECMR ceased acting as the named SSA REC for Edinburgh Sleep Centre on 31st October 2011. From 1st November 2011 SSA review for this centre have been managed by the general South East Scotland NHS Ethics Service.
The PIREC ceased to operate as a committee on 31st December 2011. Historical study files have been transferred to South Central Berkshire B NHS REC who will handle downstream work such as safety reports, end of study reports and amendments for studies historically reviewed by the PIREC.
From 1st December 2011 the named SSA REC for Veeda Plymouth and Aspect Clinical (Ledbury) has been South Central Berkshire B NHS REC.
In addition to the WCPEC, the former RIEC committee has been reconstituted as an NHS REC (South Central Berkshire B) some months ago, and its committee membership remains the largely the same as when it was previously an AAPEC appointed committee.
There is also a comprehensive list of NHS and HSC RECs with Type 1 recognition listed on www.nres.npsa.nhs.uk.
Overall there is sufficient capacity in the UK to deal with Phase 1 CTIMP workload.
If you have questions about the outcomes of the recent AAPEC Consultation please contact Dr Siobhan McGrath AAPEC Business and Operations Manager at Siobhan.mcgrath@hscni.net
If you need facilitation to find slots for review by Type 1 Recognised RECs with the NHS or the HSC, please contact Mrs Sheila Oliver on sheila.oliver@nres.nhs.uk or Dr Siobhan McGrath who will be acting as a point of contact for Phase 1 CTIMP ethics review until 31st March 2012.
The AAPEC will cease to trade as an organisation on 31st January 2012.