To the Editor: The evaluation by Hicks and colleagues of the centralised ethics review system in New South Wales1 codifies important additional time delays facing researchers conducting multicentre trials that include NSW. These delays have direct financial consequences that continue to limit the viability (especially when staff are on time-limited grants) and productivity of multisite research in Australia, without adding value to the ethical conduct of the research.2 There is also inconsistency between the approaches of the lead ethics committee (LEC) and site-specific ethics committees in the way they deal with protocol amendments and adverse event governance, further compounding the delays in initial review.
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- 1 Department of Palliative and Supportive Services, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA.
- 2 Braeside Hospital, Sydney, NSW.
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