The Royal Society of Medicine

Research ethics committees in the UK—the pressure is now on research and development departments Rustam Al-Shahi J R Soc Med 2005;98:444–447 Picture this. You have a research question of international importance. Against the odds, you have secured non-commercial funding for a well-designed multicentre project that will answer the question. Naturally, you must obtain research ethics committee (REC) approval. You apply to an REC online. After clarifying questions about your application on just one occasion, you get a decision at no charge, within 60 days, and it is valid for the whole of your country. While this scenario is a fantasy in countries such as th