NHS Genomic Networks of Excellence

At the forefront of innovation, the NHS is paving the way for a new era in healthcare with the launch of the NHS Genomic Networks of Excellence. These networks aim to harness the power of genomics to revolutionise patient care across the UK. In this article, Professor Dame Sue Hill talks about the launch of the NHS Genomic Networks of Excellence.

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on NHS England

The NHS Genomic Networks of Excellence, launched as part of the Accelerating Genomic Medicine strategy, aim to make genomic advancements accessible to all within routine NHS care. With £15 million in funding over two years, these networks will unite healthcare professionals, academics, industry partners, and patient groups to address key healthcare challenges like cardiovascular disease and cancer through innovative approaches.

Transformative approaches to diagnosis and treatment

Cardiovascular disease often has strong genetic markers, and with a quarter of deaths in England and Wales attributed to cardiovascular disease, one of the networks of excellence will now begin researching and implementing approaches to improve the identification of people at risk of cardiovascular disease. By identifying those at risk earlier, we can put life-saving interventions in place to dramatically improve patient outcomes.

It is programmes like this that breathe life into our strategy. As the strategy states, “solutions to some of our pressing issues in healthcare will not be found in the usual places”, so by enabling genomics to be in every NHS clinician’s toolbox, we can transform the ways in which we diagnose and treat patients, often with far greater speed and accuracy.

The Circulating Tumour Biomarker Network is the truest testament to this. It is being setup to provide to expedite the introduction of ctDNA and other liquid biopsy tests into NHS cancer care. Liquid biopsy is a genomic blood test that can detect tumours in the body, reducing the need for an invasive biopsy. The test can shorten diagnosis times, with some patients starting the appropriate treatment for cancer much earlier in the pathway compared with a tissue biopsy.

Building on rapid innovation for a brighter future

The progress made in harnessing the power of genomics and delivering its potentially life-changing benefits is staggering; one recent example being our R14 testing service, which provides acutely unwell children in hospital with a rapid diagnosis following a whole genome sequencing test – a world-first test which launched last year. It is thanks to our incredible NHS workforce that these breakthroughs in diagnosis and treatment have been fully realised and successfully delivered to patients.

We need to use these recent successes as a springboard for further service development in genomics. As outlined in our strategy, and with significant new care demands within our population, we need to continue to push the boundaries of health and science to improve care and treatment options for all of our patients. Emboldened by our strategy, with the vision of delivering equitable access to testing, our networks will delve deeper into the tapestry of genomics to help make this vision a reality.

A full list of the networks and what they will deliver can be found on the NHS England website.