The UK Government has announced a new 10-Year Health Plan for the NHS, outlining an ambitious vision to transform healthcare through advanced technologies and personalised medicine. At the heart of this vision is a commitment to harness the power of genomics to improve health outcomes across the country.
For the NHS North West Genomic Medicine Service Alliance (NW GMSA), as part of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service, this national strategy presents an exciting opportunity to work toward embedding genomics in to routine healthcare as part of an expanded opportunity to prevent ill health and develop more personalised approaches to treatment based on an individual’s genomic information.
Building on the region’s strong foundations in genomics research and clinical innovation, the Genomic Medicine Service across the North West will play a key role in delivering on the plan’s priorities — from earlier and more accurate diagnoses to more targeted and effective treatments.
Through close collaboration with patient groups, NHS Trusts, academic institutions, and charities across the North West and nationally, we are working to ensure that the benefits of genomic medicine reach individuals and families in our communities.
Patients stand to benefit from faster answers, more tailored therapies, and improved prevention strategies, particularly in areas such as rare diseases, inherited conditions, and cancer.
The 10-year health plan highlights the central and critical role that genomics will play in shaping the future of healthcare.
As we move into this new era, the Alliance remains dedicated to supporting and empowering clinicians and patients alike to make the most of these advancements, driving forward equitable access to genomic services, as well as advancing genomic literacy, and fostering research and innovation that will serve to transform care for generations to come.
You can read the full 10 Year Plan here (opens in a new tab), as well as an Executive Summary (opens in a new tab) and an Easy Read Version (opens in a new tab).
The role of the genomic medicine service
The NHS Genomic Medicine Service (NHS GMS) is the arm of the NHS working to support the NHS to harness the power of genomics, genomic technology and science to improve the health of our population.
With over 100 mentions of genomics within the new 10 Year Health Plan for the NHS, genomic medicine will play a central role in the transformation of the NHS over the next decade.
There are exciting possibilities here that could bring real benefits to people, particularly the signalling of a shift in how genomics is used, from something at the very specialist end of treating cancers and rare diseases, to ambitions for it to be used ‘in routine preventive care’ and to ‘mainstream genomics population health’.
Here are some examples of how genomics will play a key role:
Genomics population health service
The plan outlines the NHS Genomics Medicine Service expanding population health testing it already provides, continuing expansion of the NHS’ whole genome sequencing programme, with a focus on risks relating to common disease areas including cardiovascular, renal and diabetes.
Polygenic risk scores (PRS)
Including genomic information to identify those at risk of disease at an earlier stage, in the form of PRS, alongside other emerging diagnostic tools, will enable intervention for individuals at risk of developing common diseases. A 2021 NHS trial showed that adding PRS to standard clinical workflows in CVD worked well. Multi-disease PRS technology is already being used for up to 5 million participants via the Our Future Health (opens in a new tab) research programme.
By embedding genomic insight into digital pathways, the NHS can triage risk earlier, target screening and guide prescribing based on personalised profiles. Expansion of genomic testing for inherited causes of major diseases to allow earlier detection and intervention, including familial cancer (e.g. BRCA1/2 genes), and cardiovascular disease predisposition (e.g. familial hypercholesteraemia).
Integration of genomic insights into cardiovascular disease prevention and care through a trial with Our Future Health implementing Integrated Risk Scores (which bring together genomics and other non-biological risk factors) in neighbourhood health services, expanding to all 5 million participants in the Our Future Health programme. Subject to evaluation, this will be rolled out to other conditions like diabetes, breast, bowel and prostate cancer, and dementia.
Universal newborn genomic testing and whole genome sequencing
Building on the Genomics England-led Generation Study (opens in a new tab) which is currently recruiting up to 100,000 newborn babies and screening them for over 200 genetic conditions.
The document also sets out plans for a new large-scale study to sequence the genomes of 150,000 adults.
Pharmacogenomics
Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genes affect a person’s response to prescribed medication. This field combines pharmacology (the science of drugs) and genomics (the study of genes and their functions) to develop effective, safe medications that can be prescribed based on a person’s genetic makeup. One example of pharmacogenomics and its application within routine healthcare is the PROGRESS (Pharmacogenetics Roll Out –Gauging Response to Service) research programme which is establishing the feasibility of providing an NHS-wide diagnostic service to identify genetic changes associated with commonly prescribed drugs and determine the outcomes when this information is used.
The NW GMSA are the lead for the Pharmacogenomic and Medicines Optimisation Genomic Network of Excellence.
Other examples shared in the plan include the integration of genomic testing for pharmacogenomic profiles into the NHS over-40s Health Check with monitoring of uptake across different communities, with the use of pharmacogenomic insights in mental health prescribing a priority. Furthermore, the integration of the My Medicines tool which will guide patients on drug interactions to help avoid adverse drug reactions (estimated to cost NHS ~£2.2 billion per year).
Neighbourhood Health Service
Support prevention of disease using technology and genomic insights. By 2035 the ambition is to incorporate genomic data, digital tools and technology and a single patient record supplemented by advances in genomic data, to enable personalised predictive care.
Training of new Genomics Champions in the neighbourhood, in conjunction with the NHS Genomic Medicine Service, will aim to increase the uptake of genomic testing and adjust neighbourhood skill mixes to reflect genomic data.
For more information and updates on genomics across the North West, please bookmark this page and website.