UK Biobank has consulted widely not only with the scientific community but also with the public, its participants, and other interested parties [17,18]. This has informed the development of its Ethics and Governance Framework, which lays out its principles and policies [19], as well as its access procedures [20]. UK Biobank’s research ethics committee and Human Tissue Authority research tissue bank approvals mean that researchers wishing to use the resource do not need separate ethics approval (unless re-contact with participants is required). An independent Ethics and Governance Council oversees adherence to the Ethics and Governance Framework and provides advice on the interests of research participants and the general public in relation to UK Biobank.
