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HRA Latest - 25 February 2021 |
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Welcome to HRA Latest!
As my first update as Chief Executive of the HRA, I’m pleased to be able to share this month’s updates for all those working or involved in health and social care research.
I've shared reflections of my first week at the HRA and there's a news story about the world's first COVID-19 challenge study, approved by our Specialist REC. You can read more on this, and all of our stories, below.
Don’t forget, for regular updates and the latest news, you can follow us on Twitter @HRA_Latest.
Professor Matt Westmore, Chief Executive
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An introduction from Professor Matt Westmore
'In this, my first week as Chief Executive of the HRA, I’ve been reflecting on how the progress we’ve made over the last 12 months can drive future benefits for all of us.'
Matt shares his first blog as Chief Executive of the HRA, including his hopes for the future of a UK vibrant research sector and how we can successfully balance our requirements as a regulator.
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Reviewing the world's first COVID-19 challenge study
The world’s first COVID-19 human infection challenge study has been approved by a special Research Ethics Committee (REC).
We've spoken to Stephanie Ellis, Chair of the HRA Specialist REC, study Chief Investigator Chris Chiu, Interim Chair of the Vaccine Taskforce Clive Dix and HRA Chair Professor Sir Terence Stephenson about the approach of the REC review and the benefits that research like the challenge study can bring.
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Piloting progress: The new HRA fast-track ethics review - a blog by Dr Nicole Mather, non-executive director, HRA
Accelerating research to enable benefits for citizens is front page news more than ever before. At the Health Research Authority, during the pandemic we have made some high-impact service improvements. This includes the 24 hour fast-track service for urgent COVID-19 public health research and a COVID-19 patient-matching service, increasing patient involvement in study design to higher levels than before the pandemic.
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A tribute to Dame Fiona Caldicott
We were saddened to hear of the death of Dame Fiona Caldicott, the National Data Guardian.
Dame Fiona’s vision was that everyone who uses health and social care services should be able to trust that their personal confidential data is protected. Her eight principles guide organisations, including the HRA, and underpin high quality health and social care research.
We’ve long enjoyed a valuable and close relationship with Dame Fiona, her staff and her panel, and are committed to continue working closely with the Office of the National Data Guardian.
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Podcast series on innovation in trial design and study delivery during the COVID pandemic
Don’t miss the latest podcast series from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the HRA exploring the management and delivery of innovative design trials during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first five episodes are now live.
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Extension of COVID-19 COPI notice to September 2021
Early in the response to the pandemic, the Government announced emergency provisions for the use of confidential patient information without consent for COVID-19 purposes. These provisions have now been extended to the end of September 2021.
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Data protection: European Commission launches process on personal data flows to UK
The EU Commission has concluded that the UK ensures an essentially equivalent level of protection to the EU and has launched the process towards the adoption of two adequacy decisions for transfers of personal data to the UK.
Until the green light is given for these decisions, data flows between the European Economic Area and the UK can continue due to a conditional interim regime that was agreed in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. This interim period expires on 30 June 2021.
Data flows in the other direction – from the UK to the EU – are regulated by UK legislation, which has determined that the EU ensures an adequate level of protection and that data can flow freely from the UK to the EU.
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Latest clinical trial registration audit report published
We have published the report of our latest annual audit whether sponsors of clinical trials have registered their trial. It’s a formal condition of the Research Ethics Committee (REC) favourable opinion that clinical trials are registered on a publicly accessible database. Our latest report, based on an audit of 2018 data, is now available on our website.
Of the clinical trials involved in the audit, 84% confirmed compliance with the registration requirements, with Phase I studies showing a particularly high rate of compliance at 97%. We want to see 100% of all clinical trials registered and are working to achieve this through the implementation our Make it Public research transparency strategy.
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ABPI #ValuingVaccines campaign
The ABPI’s #ValuingVaccines campaign helps to provide people with facts and information about vaccines.
There are multiple resources on the ABPI microsite, including videos and posts, which you can download for free to help share the facts about why valuing vaccines is important.
New content for this month includes:
- a film on the success of measles, whooping cough and diphtheria vaccines in reducing cases
- a film on the success of the shingles vaccine programme
- content highlighting the people behind the development of vaccines
You can access the materials and read more about the impact of this campaign on the ABPI microsite.
You can also support these materials via ABPI’s Twitter page.
If you have any questions about supporting the campaign, please contact Kirsty in the ABPI communications team at kgelsthorpe@abpi.org.uk.
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