  Clinical trials regulations update
It’s 5 months until the amended clinical trials regulations come into force.
We’re encouraging all researchers and sponsors to start preparing for the changes and to update their policies, processes and procedures as soon as possible.
Last month, we published our final guidance which explains what will change in terms of processes, legal requirements, and expectations when the amended regulations come into effect on 28 April 2026.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published separate guidance which focuses on issues relevant to MHRA applications.
  Volunteers needed to provide advice on confidential data used in life-changing NHS and social care research
We have an exciting opportunity for members of the public to join our Confidentiality Advisory Group (CAG) to provide advice on the use of identifiable patient information without consent for research and non-research purposes.
We’re looking for people who are interested in health and social care data and have a passion for making sure it’s used legally. We are particularly interested in hearing from people with research experience, such as researchers and clinical academics, as well as those with no experience at all.
It’s an excellent way to develop your skills and broaden your knowledge, while making a real difference to health and social care.
If you or someone you know would make a great CAG member, find out how to apply on our website or email cag@hra.nhs.uk for a discussion. The closing date for applications is 8 December 2025.
 Introducing Plan and Manage Health Care Research
On 10 December, we will take an exciting step in our work to build better research services. For the first time, invited users will access our new digital service, Plan and Manage Health and Care Research, and start to use it to make changes to selected study types.
For most users, nothing will change on 10 December. This is because we are taking a gradual approach to open the service to more users. A further 10 sponsors will be invited to start using the service in January and then we will continue to add more users and more study types to the service.
You can keep up-to-date with our progress through our building better research services newsletter.
 #StepForward and join a Research Ethics Committee
REC members help protect the dignity, rights and safety of research participants by reviewing research for some of the biggest challenges in health and social care, including cancer and dementia.
We're looking for people to be part of a committee of around 15 people who meet virtually to review applications for research and give an ethics opinion. It’s vital that our committees have insight from different perspectives, so if you’re interested in gaining new skills, find out how you can become a REC member.
Read a blog by REC member Dr Tobiasz Trawinski, a Senior Lecturer at Liverpool Hope University, to hear about his first few months as a REC member and how it complements his career.
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