The Sydney South West Area Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee (SSWAHS HREC) Western Zone is convened to consider ethical implications of all proposed research projects involving human subjects within the Bankstown, Fairfield, Liverpool, Macarthur and Wingecarribee Health Services.

The SSWAHS HREC Western Zone secretariat is committed to providing a service to researchers that is supportive to their needs.

Researchers are reminded that it is their responsibility to comply with all relevant legislation which relates to conducting research on humans.

This website will not replace the need to contact the HREC secretariat. Indeed, the secretariat encourages personal contact for those difficult issues that the website does not address.

As most researchers know the Department of Health, Research and Ethics Branch have implemented a system of single ethical and scientific review for multi-centre research to be conducted within NSW Health Facilities.

The link to the DOH Research and Ethics Branch website is as follows http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/healthethics This website provides information and help on many of the issues that may arise (eg lists of Lead Ethics Committees, contacts of Research Governance Officers, training opportunities etc). However please feel free to contact the HREC (Western Zone) if you have any questions in relation to the new system.

As this is a new system that everyone is unfamiliar with, the HREC (Western Zone) understand that difficulties may arise with the completing of the required documentation and in order for the new system to be implemented smoothly patience will be required from all parties.

To enable the system to function it is now necessary for researchers to complete the DOH National Ethics Application Form (NEAF), the Site Specific Assessment Form (SSAF) and the Privacy Documentation for all applications being submitted to the HREC (Western Zone), whether single site or multi-site research.

These documents can now be found under the FORMS link within the website.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Research & Ethics Office should you have any enquiries. The telephone contact details for the Research & Ethics Office is 9612 0614. For further information regarding submitting an application, please refer to the 'Application Process'.

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