 Welcome to HRA Latest with news and updates for those working or involved in health and social care research.
This month, we respond to the recommendations made in the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (APBI)'s report on data-enabled clinical trials.
There's just 1 month to go until the amended clinical trials regulations come into effect, so we have some resources to help you prepare.
We are focused on making it easier and faster to do research, and want to hear about your experiences so that we can understand the difference we are making and inform our next steps. Our survey is live until 13 April.
We also share an update on work we are doing with people under 30 to support more of them to volunteer to be part of Research Ethics Committees (RECs), helping ensure our RECs better reflect the UK population as a whole.
For regular updates and the latest news, you can also follow us on LinkedIn.
Matt Westmore, Chief Executive
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  Clinical trials regulations – what you need to get ready
In a month’s time, updated clinical trials regulations come into force in the UK.
We’re working closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to support a smooth transition for everyone involved in setting up and running clinical trials.
Earlier this month, the HRA and MHRA hosted a joint webinar which gave an overview of what is changing, transitional arrangements and guidance available. Watch the recording of the webinar on the MHRA’s clinical trials hub and read our guidance to help you prepare.
Over the next few weeks we’ll be making a range of operational updates to make sure everything is ready for the regulations going live on 28 April 2026. This includes the launch of our updated Amendment Tool (renamed the Modification Tool), an update to our suite of model research agreements and an updated clinical trial of investigational medicinal products (CTIMP) protocol template.
Changes to non-CTIMP clinical trials and other types of research will also apply across the UK from 28 April 2026 to align with the regulations. Read our non-CTIMPs guidance.
 Using data to recruit patients to clinical trials
Last week, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) published a new report calling for the UK to use NHS data to help recruit more patients to clinical trials.
The report makes helpful recommendations to inform the development of the UK Health Data Research Service, shaped by the priorities of those currently recruiting into commercial clinical trials in the UK.
This includes establishing a Service Design Group to take this forward. We look forward to working with this group to inform the development of a roadmap to achieve rapid, targeted recruitment into trials across the UK.
 Share your views by 13 April
Are you involved in setting up health and social care research studies at research sites in the UK?
We want your feedback on whether the changes we've introduced over the past year have improved your experience of study set-up.
We've been working with our partners as part of the UK Clinical Research Delivery (UKCRD) programme to introduce changes to help speed up the study set-up process and ensure there is a consistent approach across the UK.
 Transparency in research spotlighted on BBC Radio 4 show
Our work recently featured in a new BBC Radio 4 show, Money, Influence and the NHS, which looks at practices across health and social care which can affect public trust.
In episode 1, Dr Margaret McCartney explored the impact of research waste, or studies which don’t publish results and feed back to participants. ‘If you can't see all of the data, you can't make proper decisions’ she says.
We are committed to making it easy to do health and social care studies that people can trust.
Read our news story with more on how we support transparency in research, as we prepare to share our latest data and introduce the amended clinical trials regulations next month, which will make research transparency a legal requirement.
 Increasing the diversity of perspectives in our work
We're currently working with people aged 18-29 to help us design a campaign to recruit new Research Ethics Committee (REC) members.
The make up of RECs should reflect the UK population as a whole, to make sure that a range of views are considered during the ethics review. Increasing the diversity of people who volunteer with and get involved in our work is a priority in the HRA Strategy 2025-2028.
Our most recent community survey showed that only around 1% of REC members are under the age of 30, so our campaign will aim to increase applications from younger people, and specifically lay members, with no prior healthcare experience.
 Including diverse groups of people in clinical trials
The British Pharmacological Society has set out a series of recommendations, including calling for the inclusion of this patient group in clinical trials, where it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Including a diverse group of people in clinical trials helps to provide more robust data on whether a medical product benefits everyone, or if they work differently for different groups of people.
This aligns with work we're doing with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to encourage greater inclusion in research.
News from across UK research
Below are some updates you may have missed about health and social care research in the UK:
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