What is changing for applicants seeking CAG approval, and why?
From 18 January, applicants seeking Section 251 support for the use of confidential patient data without consent will be expected to attend the CAG meeting at which their application is being discussed. All meetings are held online.
This change is being implemented following the success of a pilot, which tested applicant attendance at CAG meetings. This is also in line with recommendations made in the Department of Health and Social Care Goldacre review, which recommends that applicants should be present when their application is discussed.
Attending a CAG meeting may also avoid the need for questions to be raised via correspondence following the meeting, which will allow applicants to receive the final outcome of the review more quickly.
What is the process?
Applicants applying for CAG support can now book to attend meetings from 18 January. All CAG meeting dates and application submission deadlines can be found here.
Once your application for CAG review is validated, you will receive an invite to the meeting, which will be held on Zoom.
All the information you need regarding meeting attendance, including what you can expect during and after the meeting, is available on the HRA website.
How do I know if I need CAG support?
If you are unsure whether you need CAG support to use confidential patient data without consent, please look at our pre-application checklist and carefully read the guidance for CAG applicants.
The CAG advises on both research and non-research uses of confidential patient information without consent. If you are unsure if your project should be classified as research, our Is my study research? tool can help.
CAG mainline closure: how will this affect me?
The CAG mainline phone number will be permanently closed as of 29 December. This is to streamline meeting bookings and queries to one central point, which has proved successful with Research Ethics Committee (REC) communications.
All CAG meeting bookings and any queries should now be made via email to cag@hra.nhs.uk.
Please also read the relevant guidance on the HRA website which may help with any queries you have, including:
More information
|
