NHS research ethics committees (RECs) should work more closely with each other, have a clearer remit, and improve training for their members. These were the recommendations of a report published this week that was designed to streamline the procedures for ethical review of research proposals for studies to be done in the NHS.

The committees give independent advice on whether proposals for research studies in the NHS comply with ethical standards. The report, from the UK Department of Health, was developed in response to criticisms from researchers that the committees are uncoordinated, application procedures are time consuming, and decisions are unpredictable. …