In this paper Iain raises important issues about how the process of applying for ethical permission should be viewed as more than a bureaucratic exercise. Hospital chaplains can take advantage of their personal experience and expertise to engage fully with the process and to help develop thinking around ethical issues. Whilst every author in this edition has probably had some kind of irritation around applying for and receiving NHS ethical approval for research, the reality is that doing research ethically and ethical research remains a challenge, one which healthcare chaplains are well placed to meet. The research ethics committee should be seen as a resource with which to engage and a help in refining the proposal.