New ethical review arrangements for research involving human subjects, tissue or data were introduced in Northern Ireland in 2004, to comply with a European Union Directive (see below) on Clinical Trials. All member countries are required to comply fully with the Directive, and this includes transposing the Directive into Law. In the UK, regulations came into force on 1st May 2004. These arrangements have been applied beyond Clinical Trials to all Health and Social Care Research in Northern Ireland. HPSS Research Ethics Committees have been established by the DHSSPS. These committees will be generalist (that is, capable of considering the ethics of all proposed research projects which involve human subjects, their tissue or data in relation to biomedical and social care research). Each will have a remit covering the whole of Northern Ireland, and will meet monthly. This will create a system where a committee will meet most weeks of the year, capable of reviewing any research proposal. Members of HPSS Research Ethics Committees have been appointed through a public appointment process. The responsibility for this process was formally handed to the Central Services Agency in August 2005. The CSA is now the appointment authority for all HPSS RECs.

The ORECNI is now able to receive ethical applications

European Union Directive on Clinical Trials

Click Here to Link to ORECNI

Appointment Of Members To The Hpss Research Ethics Committees

Central Office for Research Ethics Committees (COREC)