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National Research Ethics Service
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National Patient Safety Agency - National Research Ethics Service - facilitating and promoting ethical research
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Central Allocation System

The Central Allocation System (CAS) is the telephone booking service which identifies and allocates applications to an appropriate Research Ethics Committee (REC) for research that falls within one or more of the following categories:
  • clinical trials of investigational medicinal products (CTIMPs). CAS can now provide an agenda identification service for all  Type 1 RECs which can review Phase 1 CTIMPs in healthy volunteers; CAS will also take bookings for NHS Phase 1 CTIMPs in healthy volunteers if requested.   Bookings for Independent Ethics Committees (IECs) must be made directly with an IEC.
  • research involving medical devices;
  • research involving prisoners;
  • research involving adults lacking capacity;
  • establishing research tissue banks;
  • projects funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); and
  • establishing research databases.

Contact CAS


You can contact the CAS operators as follows:

 

  • Tel: 0845 270 4400
    (9.30am - 4.00pm weekdays)

 

 

When you telephone CAS to book an application for ethical review, the administrator will ask you a series of questions relating to your study to ensure that it is reviewed by an appropriate REC.
 
When booking, you will be offered the first available agenda slot within the UK. You may, however, request review by a named committee, but if you choose this option the 60-day clock will start from the submission date for the REC and not the date of application receipt.