Academy of Medical Sciences: A new pathway for the regulation and governance of health research

The report of the Academy’s review of the regulation and governance of health research, chaired by Sir Michael Rawlins, has been published. The review was convened in response to an invitation by Government to review the governance and regulation of health research in the UK involving human participants, tissue or personal data.

The review’s recommendations are designed to increase the speed at which healthcare innovations become available to patients, whilst eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy. The report proposes four key principles that should underpin the regulation and governance framework around health research in the UK and makes a number of recommendations, including the creation of a new Health Research Agency to rationalise the regulation and governance of all health research.