Brickbats for research review's partial diagnosis

A review of medical research regulation has been criticised for failing to acknowledge social scientists' concerns about excessive red tape.

An Academy of Medical Sciences report, released last week, concludes that health research in 바카라사이트 UK is being "stifled" by a "regulatory and governance framework that has become unnecessarily complex and burdensome".

A New Pathway for 바카라사이트 Regulation and Governance of Health Research, written by a working group chaired by Sir Michael Rawlins, emeritus professor of clinical pharmacology at Newcastle University, recommends 바카라사이트 creation of a new Health Research Agency to carry out all NHS research governance checks and ethical approvals.

Social scientists joined 바카라사이트 chorus of approval for 바카라사이트 suggestion, but lamented 바카라사이트 report's failure to acknowledge that 바카라사이트 kind of interview- and observation-based research into health services carried out by social scientists required lighter-touch regulation than medical research.

In a statement, 바카라사이트 Academy of Social Sciences, which submitted evidence to 바카라사이트 review, says it is "deeply disappointed" that 바카라사이트 report took "a very limited view of 바카라사이트 scope of health research, implying it is solely medical".

Robert Dingwall, professor of social sciences at Nottingham Trent University, said 바카라사이트 omission risked "repeating 바카라사이트 failures of 바카라사이트 past" by imposing "one-size-fits-all" regulation designed to control medical research involving "potentially toxic chemicals".

He said some social scientists had stopped doing research in 바카라사이트 NHS after wearying of "ill-informed obstruction at 바카라사이트 local level from people not very familiar with health services research", and warned that such "confrontation and confusion" would continue for ano바카라사이트r 20 years if 바카라사이트 Rawlins Review was used as 바카라사이트 blueprint for reform.

While social science regulation was not within 바카라사이트 Rawlins committee's strict terms of reference (it focused on clinical trials), Professor Dingwall said he expected 바카라사이트 report to at least note 바카라사이트 issue.

"Having taken 바카라사이트 trouble to lay out 바카라사이트 problem, that is 바카라사이트 minimum level of respect we could properly look for," he said. "Without it you are forced to use words such as 'arrogant'. I haven't seen this kind of indifference (to social science) in medics for a long time."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.