Reminder: Honorary Contracts

Imperial employees conducting research at any of our associated NHS Trusts must ensure they have an honorary contract with the relevant NHS Trust.

Employees of Imperial College conducting research at any of our associated NHS Trusts, involving hospital staff, facilities, patient data and/or samples/tissues, need to ensure that they have an honorary contract with the relevant NHS Trust.

This is a requirement of the Department of Health Research Governance Framework and serves to protect patient confidentiality and safety. It also ensures research staff are covered by NHS negligent harm indemnity.

We have been informed by R&D that the process for obtaining an honorary contract can take up to 4 weeks, depending on the type of research you are conducting. A Criminal Records Bureau and Occupational Health check will be necessary if you have direct patient contact.

Please note, it is essential to have an honorary contract in place before you begin your research .

For your information, the NHS R&D Forum has recently published new guidance on the use of Honorary Contracts in the NHS. You can download this at http://www.rdforum.nhs.uk/passport/hrc_guidance_0906.doc .

This guidance is due to form the basis of the proposed new ’Research Passport System’; a more efficient way of making applications for honorary contracts.

A pilot of this new system is currently underway in a number of areas and will be evaluated through surveys and interviews with researchers, employers and NHS organisations, prior to a planned national rollout in 2007.

For more information, please see http://www.rdforum.nhs.uk/passport/passport_intro.htm