Research bureaucracy in the United Kingdom: Ethics committees have important roles in research

doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7466.623

BMJ 2004;329:623 (11 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7466.623

Letter

Research bureaucracy in the United Kingdom

Ethics committees have important roles in research

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Jamrozik discusses the lost plot of research ethicspaperwork in the issue of 31 July highlighting that ethics committeesare out of control and discouraging research.¹ NHS researchethics committees comprise volunteers who give up their timefreely to mediate society's desire to protect potential researchparticipants.

If anything can be learnt from recent high profile cases, suchas those surrounding retention of organs for research, it isthat society does not restrict its understanding of "harm" topurely physical damage. The focus of research ethics committeeson information sheets for patients is driven not by a desirefor "editorial control" but to ensure that potential participantsare free to make fully informed decisions. Obscure and jargonistictext is not informative. Some frankly misleading informationsheets that we review are apparently designed more to facilitaterecruitment than inform the patient.

We agree that scope remains for improving the . . . [Full text of this article]

David A Walsh, senior lecturer in rheumatology

King's Mill Hospital, Mansfield Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire NG17 4JL david.walsh@nottingham.ac.uk

Michael Hewitt, evaluation, audit and research manager

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, King's Mill Hospital