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New guidance is available to support sponsors, NHS and HSC organisations in setting up and managing Participant Information Centres (PICs).
The guidance includes information on:
- defining what a PIC is to determine if your organisation is acting as one
- the research regulatory process for setting up and managing a PIC
- frequently asked questions
The guidance also provides a breakdown of the documents and information required from sponsors about PICs as part of the research approval process.
What are PICs?
PICs are NHS and HSC organisations, which identify participants for research studies but do not undertake the research. A PIC might be an NHS Trust or Board, or an independent contractor of NHS primary care services, such as an NHS general practice.
What do I need to do?
NHS and HSC organisations should refer to the guidance when they are asked to be PIC sites for any UK research project.
Whilst this guidance is for NHS and HSC organisations, the principles of identifying participants and managing the organisations which do this can also be applied to non-NHS organisations.
The guidance applies UK wide and has been developed in collaboration with the devolved administrations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Why have you published this guidance?
The new guidance is part of our on going work to improve study-set up and has been published in response to queries we have received from NHS and HSC organisations. The guidance provides clearer information on the approval process requirements for PICs, and includes scenarios based on the queries we have received.
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