RECs in the UK were first established in the UK National Health Service (NHS) in the mid-1960's. At this time the system was purely voluntary. Now, there are two kinds of RECs: Local Research Ethics Committees (LRECs) and Multi-centre Research Ethics Committees (MRECs). The LREC system was organised initially by Department of Health Guidance in 1991 in England and Wales and in 1992 in Scotland. The MREC system was created in 1997. LRECs are responsible for reviewing protocols conducted in their own area and MRECs are responsible of reviewing protocols held in more than four locations.

There were further regulations (see below) issued in 2002 that were the first to give explicit statutory duties to RECs. The ethical review system of clinical trials was further regulated in 2004 by the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004 which implemented Directive 2001/20. This created the United Kingdom Ethics Committee Authority (UKECA) to authorise and oversee RECs. In practice, this function is carried out by the Central Office for Research Ethics Committees (COREC) in England and by the relevant Ministers in Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland. COREC issued new Standard Operating Procedures for RECs in 2004. For clinical trials permission is also required from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

-Standard Operating Procedures for RECs, COREC, 2004
-Governance Arrangements for NHS Research Ethics Committees (GAFREC), 2001
-Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care (RGF), Department of Health, 2001.
-Health Service Regulations 2002
-Adults with Incapacity Regulations 2002 (Scotland).

Other RECs can be found in particular agencies, such as the Medical Research Council, UK Universities and the pharmaceutical industry. These organisations created their own REC in order to review their own research protocols.

Within the UK, some 80 Research Ethics Committees (REC) exist. The generation of a research project submission and allocation to a specific REC is through an on-line processing system managed through the Integrated Research Application System (IRAS).

The following list provides Weblinks to all designated RECs within the UK.

England

Non-NHS Phase 1 Healthy Volunteer Clinical Studies

Welwyn Clinical Pharmacology Ethics Committee (NON-NHS Phase 1)

Manchester Independent Research Ethics Committee (NON NHS Phase 1)

Yorkshire Independent Ethics Committee ( NON-NHS Phase 1)

Plymouth Independent Ethics Committee (Non-NHS Phase I)

Reading Independent Committee (NON-NHS Phase 1)

Capenhurst Independent Research Ethics Committee (NON NHS Phase 1)

Aylesford

South East Research Ethics Committee

Brighton

Brighton and Sussex REC

Bristol

East Central London REC 1

Oxfordshire Research Ethics Committee A

Oxfordshire Research Ethics Committee B

Southampton and South West Hampshire Research Ethics Committee B

South West 1 REC

South West 2 REC

South West 3 REC

South West 4 REC

South West 5 REC

Cambridge

Cambridgeshire 1 Research Ethics Committee

Cambridgeshire 2 Research Ethics Committee

Cambridgeshire 3 Research Ethics Committee

Cambridgeshire 4 Research Ethics Committee

Essex 1 Research Ethics Committee

Essex 2 Research Ethics Committee

Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee

Norfolk Research Ethics Committee

Guildford

Surrey Research Ethics Committee

Harrow

Central London REC 1

North London REC 1

North London REC 2

North London REC 3

North West London REC 1

North West London REC 2

Jarrow

County Durham & Tees Valley REC

Newcastle and North Tyneside Research Ethics Committee 1

Newcastle and North Tyneside Research Ethics Committee 2

Northern and Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee

Sunderland Research Ethics Committee

Oxfordshire Research Ethics Committee C

Leeds

Bradford Research Ethics Committee

East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire Research EC

Leeds Central Research Ethics Committee

Leeds East Research Ethics Committee

Leeds West Research Ethics Committee

Sheffield Research Ethics Committee

South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee

London

Central London REC 2

Central London REC 3

Central London REC 4

East London REC 1

East London REC 2

East London REC 3

South East London REC 1

South East London REC 2

South East London REC 3

South East London REC 4

South East London REC 5

South West London REC 1

South West London REC 3

South West London REC 4

West London REC 1

West London REC 2

West London REC 3

National Social Care Research Ethics Committee

Maidstone

Kent Research Ethics Committee

Manchester

North West 1 REC - Cheshire

North West 10 REC - GM North

North West 11 REC - Preston

North West 12 REC - Lancaster

North West 2 REC - Liverpool Central

North West 3 REC - Liverpool East

North West 5 REC - Haydock Park

North West 6 REC - GM South

North West 7 REC - GM Central

North West 8 REC - GM East

North West 9 REC - GM West

Nottingham

Derbyshire Research Ethics Committee

Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland...

Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland...

Nottingham Research Ethics Committee 1

Nottingham Research Ethics Committee 2

Trent Research Ethics Committee

Reading

Berkshire Research Ethics Committee

Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire REC

Southampton and South West Hampshire Research Ethics Committee A

Redditch

Birmingham East, North and Solihull Research EC

Black Country Research Ethics Committee

Coventry and Warwickshire REC

South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee

Staffordshire REC

West Midlands Research Ethics Committee

Northern Ireland

Co. Antrim

Health and Social Care Research Ethics Committee 1

Health and Social Care Research Ethics Committee 2

Health and Social Care Research Ethics Committee 3

Scotland

Aberdeen

North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1

North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2

Dundee

Fife and Forth Valley Research Ethics Committee

Tayside Committee on Medical Research Ethics A

Tayside Committee on Medical Research Ethics B

Edinburgh

Edinburgh Independent Ethics Committee (NON NHS Phase 1)

Scotland A Research Ethics Committee

South East Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1

South East Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2

South East Scotland Research Ethics Committee 3

Glasgow

West of Scotland REC 1

West of Scotland REC 2

West of Scotland REC 3

West of Scotland REC 4

West of Scotland REC 5

Wales

Cardiff

Research Ethics Committee for Wales

South East Wales Research Ethics Committee Panel B

South East Wales Research Ethics Committee Panel C

South East Wales Research Ethics Committee Panel D

Carmarthen

Dyfed Powys Research Ethics Committee

Gwynedd

North Wales REC - West

Swansea

South West Wales Research Ethics Committee

Wrexham

North Wales REC - Central and East