In March 2014 the Health Research Authority (HRA) published a working party report on how to best support research in the NHS, focusing on educational research. The scope of the report was to examine research undertaken within the NHS, by students from undergraduate to doctoral level, with educational value as the sole or primary objective. This piece of work was prompted by concerns that student projects were taking up a disproportionate amount of the time and resources of the local research approval process.
Among other recommendations, it was suggested that undergraduate students should be discouraged from undertaking research which interfaces directly with patients. Sir John Tooke, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, has written to Dr Janet Wisely Chief Executive of the HRA, to express his concerns regarding the impact of this recommendation on undergraduate training. The Academy is active in encouraging undergraduate participation in research, through our INSPIRE program and other careers policy projects.
The Academy is however, supportive of the HRA’s aim to streamline the research approval process for all, and has offered support and practical assistance in developing the specific recommendations of the report.