BMJ  2004;329:624 (11 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7466.624

Letter

Research bureaucracy in the United Kingdom

Practical example illustrates problems of ethical review of genetics

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

EDITOR—Increasingly, genetic testing for newly discovered or recognised genes is only available in certain laboratories in the world. From 2000-3 I have on average each year submitted four full submissions and four "annex D" forms (these allow me to participate in someone else's medical research ethics committee proposal locally). Each full submission took four hours, and each annex D two hours. Most proposals allowed DNA analysis in a research study for clinical benefit as testing was not available in the NHS.

This year I have only been able to fill in one annex D equivalent—(the new "form C")—and one full proposal. Form C took eight to nine hours because, although it was partly completed by the lead researcher using "Form Filler v.2," my committee refused to accept anything other than v.3 (they eventually relented as a "one off" exception with a verbal warning). The full application related to . . . [Full text of this article]

Patrick Morrison, consultant in clinical genetics

Department of Medical Genetics, Belfast City Hospital Trust, Belfast BT9 7AB Patrick.Morrison@bch.n-i.nhs.uk


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