Medical Ethical Committees

HC Deb 21 March 1989 vol 149 c574W

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the work of medical ethical committees.

Mr. Freeman

Medical ethics are a matter for the professions concerned. Some medical bodies have established medical ethical committees to advise their members—these are outside the remit of the Department of Health.

Within the National Health Service each health authority is required to have a research ethics committee to supervise the ethics of clinical research investigations. The work of these committees is explained in health circular HSC (IS) 153, which is available in the Library.