Research ethics
At Ramsay Health Care, all research projects conducted in Australia must undergo ethical review and approval in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2023) and Ramsay’s facility rules.
Approval process
Before beginning research at a Ramsay Health Care facility, the Researcher must secure:
Research Endorsement
- Researchers must obtain a signed Research Endorsement Form from the relevant site executive prior to registering their project in REGGS and submitting the ethics and/ or governance application.
Ethics approval
- Granted by a Ramsay Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) or another HREC certified by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
- The approval letter must list all Ramsay facilities and any external sites involved in the research.
Research Governance approval
- Issued by the CEO of the Ramsay facility following a governance review by Ramsay Health Care.
Applying for ethical review
Ramsay’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) reviews ethics applications for:
- Research conducted in Ramsay hospitals by accredited practitioners or employees.
- Low or negligible risk research in co-located practitioner rooms.
- Applications from students enrolled in University Programs must be submitted for review and approval by the respective University HREC. If a Ramsay Health Care facility is involved in the study, the facility name must be listed in the approval letter and a request for reciprocal review must be submitted to Ramsay Health Care HREC.
Ramsay Health Care HREC
Ramsay operates one HREC in compliance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2023):
- Ramsay Health Care Human Research Ethics Committee A
This committee includes diverse representatives, such as medical practitioners, researchers, legal experts, clergy and community members.
Please note that the Ramsay Health Care WA|SA HREC will be closing effectively 5th May 2026, and the ethical oversight will be transferred to the HREC A.
Contact
For enquiries, please contact:
WA|SA HREC
HREC A
- Email: HREC.RHC@ramsayhealth.com.au
- Phone: (02) 9433 3854
Meeting dates
RHC HREC A
Chair: Dr David Carter
| Meeting dates HREC A | Submissions closing (5.00pm) |
| 16 February 2026 | 26 January 2026 |
| 16 March 2026 | 23 February 2026 |
| 20 April 2026 | 30 March 2026 |
| 18 May 2026 | 27 April 2026 |
| 22 June 2026 | 01 June 2026 |
| 20 July 2026 | 29 June 2026 |
| 17 August 2026 | 27 July 2026 |
| 21 September 2026 | 31 August 2026 |
| 19 October 2026 | 28 September 2026 |
| 16 November 2026 | 26 October 2026 |
| 14 December 2026 | 23 November 2026 |
WA/SA
Chair: A/Prof. Beverly Ewens and A/Prof. Rosemary Saunders
| Meetings dates WA/SA HREC | Submissions closing (5.00pm) |
| 2 February 2026 | 12 January 2026 |
| 9 March 2026 | 16 February 2026 |
| 13 April 2026 | 23 March 2026 |
| 4 May 2026 | 13 April 2026 |
Any applications submitted after the latest submission deadline will not be considered until the next meeting.
Please note meeting dates are subject to change at the discretion of the Chair. Refer to published dates via webpage for the current meeting schedule.
For further information and queries, contact us.
Ethics fees
All Ramsay HRECs charge the following fees for different types of Ethical Review application:
Effective 1 April 2026.
*Please note: all fees are exclusive of GST
| Commercially sponsored research | $ 5,000 |
| Other Clinical Research | $ 2,000 |
| Initial Clinical Registry Application | $5,000 |
| Other Applications | $1,000 |
| Investigator Initiated research with external funding | $500 |
| Research by Ramsay Staff | $0 |
| Annual Administration Fee – Commercially sponsored research or registry | $1,500 |
Notes:
- Initial application review fees are charged upon submission and non-refundable.
- Annual ethics administration fee is charged annually in advance upon approval and thereafter on the anniversary of the approval date until the trial is completed. Annual administration fee covers the post approval review and approval services, such as amendments, progress and annual reports, certificate of currency, etc.
- All fees are payable to the Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation (ABN 11 607 036 948).
Research types and processes
Low-risk studies
Research where the only foreseeable risk is discomfort.
Examples include:
- observational studies
- surveys
- retrospective reviews
- data-only research proposals where the project seeks to access data from existing databanks, biobanks, registries or others
If unsure whether your study qualifies, please contact us.
Higher-risk studies
Research involving risks beyond discomfort, such as:
- vulnerable populations (e.g. Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities)
- genomic research
- clinical trials involving investigational products or interventions
Full HREC review is required for these studies.
Case report
Unique patient cases must obtain patient consent prior to publication.
For journal submissions requiring ethics exemption letters, email the HREC:
WA|SA HREC
HREC A
- Email: HREC.RHC@ramsayhealth.com.au
- Phone: (02) 9433 3854
Quality audit (QA) and quality improvement (QI)
QI/QA studies aim to enhance health care delivery and may not require full ethics review.
Submit the completed RHC Quality Audit Template for review to the RHC WA|SA HREC or RHC HREC A.
For further information about quality audit and improvement activities, please see the NHMRC guidance.
Authorised prescriber scheme
Ramsay HRECs review applications for practitioners seeking endorsement to prescribe unapproved therapeutic goods under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.
Applications for Authorised Prescriber Scheme endorsement by the Ramsay Health Care HRECs must be made via REGGS.
Practitioners are referred to the Therapeutic Goods Administration Guidance for further information on the Authorised Prescriber Scheme.
Post-approval management
Changes to approved research
All amendments to approved research must be submitted for HREC review before implementation.
Examples include changes to:
- protocols or procedures
- recruitment materials
- study sites or participant groups
Use the Notification of an Amendment to a Research Study Form in REGGS for submissions and include both clean and tracked copies of all amended documents.
Progress reporting
In accordance with NHMRC Guidelines, annual progress reports are required for all approved studies. Approved researchers receive reminders and submission instructions via REGGS.
Safety reporting
Serious adverse events, safety issues and protocol breaches must be reported to the approving HREC, in line with NHMRC guidelines.
Breaches of protocol
All breaches of protocol should be reported to the approving RHC HREC via REGGS.
Instructions on how to submit a Serious Breach are available from our resources page.
Complaints
Study participants
To submit a complaint about your participation in a research project, please contact us.
WA|SA HREC
Email: RamsayHREC.WA-SA@ramsayhealth.com.au
HREC A
Email: HREC.RHC@ramsayhealth.com.au
Alternatively, call (02) 9433 3854 for a confidential discussion.
Researchers
If you have concerns about the ethics review process, please email ResearchGovernance@ramsayhealth.com.au.
Complaints are reviewed by an independent party and treated confidentially.
Visit our resources page to find out more
Subscribe to our newsletters
Stay updated, explore healthcare topics and learn about the latest research