Ethics Committees

The Cartwright Inquiry resulted in major changes to the operation of ethics committees. Changes included

• The revised Declaration of Helsinki, released in October 2008, now states that "Every clinical trial must be registered in a publicly accessible data base before recruitment of the first subject." (paragraph 19)

• Ethics of Intervention Studies: Discussion Document and draft Ethical Guidelines for Intervention Studies, submission to National Ethics Advisory Committee, 22nd July 2008

• Ethics of Intervention Stuides: Discussion document and draft Ethical Gudielines for Intervention Studies, National Ethics Advisory Committee, June 2008

• Herpes study putting poor women at risk - WHW Dec 2006

• New technology steps around the Right to Life debate - WHW Dec 2006

• Ethical dilemmas over frozen embryos - WHW June 2006

• Stem cell research is a womens issue - WHW June 2006

• Womens Health Action SUBMISSION ON Guidelines on Using Cells from Established Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines for Research - March 2006

• Submission on NEAC Discussion Documents - November 2003

• New NECAHR members - WHW Sept 2002

• Draft operational standard for Health & Disability Ethics Committees (analysis of the proposed new standard by chair of Wellington Ethics Committee and chair of the Regional Ethics Committees Chairs Group), Sharron Cole, WHW Sept 2001

• Draft Operational Standard for Health & Disability Ethics Standard for Health & Disability Ethics Committees, WHA Submission, August 2000

• Ethics of ethics committees in the spotlight (report of status of ethics committees, criticisms of ethics committees at Gisborne Inquiry), WHW Sept 2000

• The future of ethics committees - where are they going? (report of future of ethics committees with restructuring of health sector, concerns about independence), Penny St John, WHW Feb 2000

• Blow to national ethics functions (national ethics committee disbanded), WHW June/July 1999

• Ethics committee survive review (results on review of ethics committee that proposed reducing their number by 50%), WHW Dec 1998

• Ethics committees come under Official Information Act (national ethics committee tells regional ethics committee they come under OIA), WHA, March/April 1997

• Access to information held by ethics committees (report of efforts by WHA to ensure public access to research protocols submitted to regional ethics committees), WHW Nov 1996

• Public to have access to research protocols (report that national ethics committees says regional committees must give public access to research protocols after request by WHA), WHW Sept 1995

• New national ethics committee (membership of new committee), WHW Dec 1994

• New national ethics structure disappoints consumer groups (comment on lack of power given to national ethics committees), WHW June 1994

• Ethical committees in disarray (report on status of ethics committees after disbanding of area health boards, review of national standard), WHW Dec 1993