March 2007
We are pleased to announce the launch of the National Research Ethics Service (NRES) from 1 April 2007. The NRES will comprise the Head Office function (formerly COREC) and NHS RECs in England. NRES will continue to work with colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to maintain the established UK-wide framework for ethical review of research.
The change in name symbolises the change to a more responsive and robust research ethics review process, and makes a shift away from the concept of a system composed of only Research Ethics Committees (RECs) to one of a service that will provide robust ethical review to protect the safety, dignity and well being of research participants as well as ensuring through the delivery of a professional service that it is also able to promote and facilitate ethical research within the NHS.
The NHS REC Application form website can now be found at: www.nresform.org.uk. For an interim period the old site will automatically redirect you to the new one.
We have also issued a press release on the relaunching of COREC as NRES.
