Welcome to HRA Latest with news and updates for those working or involved in health and social care research.
This month, we've launched a pilot to get feedback on our new Information Governance Guide.
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The aim of the pilot is provide clarity on how information governance is reviewed when research studies are submitted for approval.
We're pleased to share that we're holding a webinar in partnership with Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on the upcoming changes to the Clinical Trials Regulations on Thursday 12 March - places have filled up fast but a recording will be available if you join the waiting list.
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We're also sharing our response to a House of Lords inquiry on the role of regulators in supporting growth, and we are encouraging our volunteers to respond to a new survey so we can improve how we work with them.
For regular updates and the latest news, you can also follow us on LinkedIn.
Matt Westmore, Chief Executive
 
New pilot launched to get feedback on Information Governance Guide
The guide, which has been designed to support sponsors and NHS and HSC organisations involved in research, clarifies how IG is reviewed centrally for study wide review when research studies are submitted for HRA Approval and what local IG checks research sites still may need to do.
It is part of our ongoing work as part of the UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) programme, a cross-sector programme of work aimed at creating a faster, more efficient, more accessible and more innovative clinical research delivery system.
Clinical trials regulations - are you prepared?
It’s only 60 days until amended clinical trials regulations come into force in the UK.
Make sure you’re prepared by reading our guidance.
In a couple of weeks' time we’re co-hosting a webinar with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on 12 March about the changes to the regulations.
The webinar is full and there is a waiting list. Add your name to the waiting list to receive an email alert if a place becomes available. If you join the waiting list and don’t get a place on the day, a link to a recording of the webinar will be sent to the email address you have provided.
For more information about the changes to the regulations, head to our website for the latest updates and guidance.
Update on PATHWAYS Trial
The Department of Health and Social Care has announced that the PATHWAYS TRIAL of puberty supressing hormones has been paused.
The study team at King's College London who are leading the trial are in ongoing discussions with the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) about concerns raised about the trial and potential changes.
The Research Ethics Committee that approved the trial's initial application will review its ethics opinion if new information is received about a trial which might have changed its original decision. This includes anything which leads to amendments to the trial design and which might be submitted to or required by MHRA.
How health and social care research can support growth in the UK
Earlier this year we responded to a House of Lords inquiry being led by the Industry and Regulators Committee.
The committee is looking at how the government could promote industrial growth across the UK.
We were asked to contribute to the inquiry and give suggestions for how the government could remove barriers to growth, make regulatory processes quicker and reduce costs.
In our response we highlighted that the UK is a world-leading destination for research, and that there is real opportunity to build on this by working even more closely with partner organisations across the UK to create a faster, more seamless journey for health and social care research approvals.
You can find out more about the inquiry and the responses provided by the HRA and other organisations at parliament.uk
HRA Community Survey 2026
Our Community Survey for 2026 has now launched.
Our Community, which includes Research Ethics Committee members, the Confidentiality Advisory Group, and members of the public who are involved in our work, play a vital role in ensuring health and social care research is ethical, safe and centred on participants.
If you have received a copy of the survey via email please complete it and let us know your thoughts. The survey closes on Wednesday 4 March.
Feedback from our Community is really important to us, which is why we now conduct a survey every 2 years. This helps us to understand how satisfied the people who make up our community are with their involvement with the HRA and how to improve the way we work with them.
You can read our update on the delivery of the HRA Community Survey 2024 2-year action plan on our website.
First baby born using transplanted womb from dead donor
The first baby in the UK has be born using a womb transplanted from a dead donor.
This exciting development has come from a study we reviewed and approved back in 2015.
The Hampstead Research Ethics Committee (REC) reviewed the 'Uterine Transplantation in the Human Setting' trial and the study was approved with a favourable opinion.
Stephanie Ellis, who was Chair of the Hampstead REC at the time, has welcomed the results of the study, which highlights the huge value REC members bring to research.
Building better research services
Our early adopters are now using Plan and Manage Health and Care Research to make changes to their active research, and we’ll be inviting more sponsors to start to use the service soon.
You can find out more about this as well as the next phase of our work in our building better research services newsletter, which gives you all the latest information on our work to improve the digital services used in the UK to plan, manage and deliver health and social care research.
News from across UK research
Below are some updates you may have missed about health and social care research in the UK:
- a new report from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) highlights the significant health, economic and productivity returns that would result from increasing clinical trial activity across Europe
- NHS England’s DigiTrials service is powering a landmark moment in mental health research, helping to identify and recruit up to almost 50,000 eligible participants for GlobalMinds – the world’s largest severe mental illness study
- new figures from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) show a 17 per cent rise in approved clinical investigations compared with last year, as companies increasingly choose Great Britain to test cutting-edge health technologies
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