Harmonisation project finishes pilot

The project aims to deliver NHS permissions for commercially sponsored studies quickly, with minimal duplication of checks across sites and to one standard for costing and contracts. 

To date, the University College London Hospitals permission centre has provided 28 NHS Permissions (over 15 studies). The Harmonisation permission centre at Barts Health NHS Trust has approved similar figures.  

There are four permission centres (University College London Hospitals, The Barts Health NHS Trust, the North Central London Research Consortium and Great Ormond Street Hospital). Permission centres have been set up to approve projects from certain specialties. All projects and approaches by commercial organisations to Trusts and networks should go through the designated liaison officers at the centres.

The centres manage the contracts, costing and all governance to give R&D approval.

The project also aims to make the process of simultaneous approvals across UCLP sites more efficient.