Building the future of personalised, preventative care: Genomics England supports 10 Year Health Plan
Genomics England will help deliver the 10 Year Health Plan through its digital systems and by generating the evidence to inform how genomics could be embedded into routine care - shaping future approaches to earlier diagnosis, prevention and more personalised treatment.
Supported by the 10 Year Health Plan, Genomics England will complete the Generation Study, a research study in partnership with the NHS, that is sequencing the genomes of 100,000 newborns with parental consent. The study aims to improve how we diagnose and treat rare conditions and will evaluate the use of genome sequencing to identify more than 200 rare genetic conditions that appear in the first few years of life, can be improved if caught early and treated in the NHS. Insights from the Generation Study will inform the Government’s longer-term ambition to offer genomic sequencing at birth in the future.
By delivering research programmes that build the evidence and digital infrastructure to support wider adoption of genomics in healthcare, Genomics England will help position the UK as the leader in genomics-enabled prevention and diagnostics.
Genomics England’s continued work to deliver digital systems that support the NHS and connect routine care to research via the National Genomic Research Library, will enable clinicians and researchers to fully harness the power of genomics. By 2030, the National Genomic Research Library – which is already one of the world’s largest databases of its kind – will house over 500,000 whole genomes from the 100,000 Genomes Project, the NHS Genomic Medicine Service, the Generation Study and other research programmes. The growth of the National Genomic Research Library will benefit NHS patients and participants by uncovering new diagnoses and driving the development of innovative treatments.
The Government’s strong support for genomic healthcare announced as part of the 10 Year Health Plan is a vote of confidence in the power of genomics to transform lives. It underscores the UK’s unique position as the place to discover, test, and where proven, roll out innovative genomic technologies – a key element of our vibrant life sciences sector.
“Genomics is already playing an important role in healthcare and has the potential to increase its impact dramatically, becoming part of everyday healthcare help drive more efficient and predictive care that leads to better health for all.
“This vision is what drives our work – including the evidence we build to inform future policy through our research programmes and the digital systems we deliver to enable the NHS and researchers. Critically, we also focus on engagement, ethics and equity so that advances are shaped in line with the views of the public and participants.
“The UK has long been a global leader in genomics. This continued support will strengthen our ability to harness the full potential of genomics and data-driven healthcare that will benefit the public for generations to come.”
Dr Rich Scott
Chief Executive Officer, Genomics England
