A comprehensive range of education and training resources is currently available to healthcare professionals across the region.
Our Workforce Education and Training team continue to engage, support and educate professionals to embed genomics within their clinical practice, as well as developing targeted education and training programmes.
We have project-specific education and training resources available by area of condition or area of practice including Lynch Syndrome, Midwifery and Pharmacogenomics.
Links to NHS Workforce, Education and Training (formerly known as Health Education England and their Genomic Education Programme (GEP) are available across this website. Below is an example of collaborative working in support of mainstreaming genomics into routine healthcare; the Training Needs Analysis (TNA) project.
In collaboration with NHS Health Education England, now known as NHS Workforce, training and education, the Alliance conducted a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) to support our role to enable NHS colleagues to deliver the benefits of genomic medicine as part of routine healthcare across our region.
The role of our Alliance is to support NHS colleagues to deliver the benefits of genomic medicine as part of routine healthcare across our region. Key enablers are the education, training, and upskilling of professionals across the North West.
We work in collaboration with Cancer Alliances across our region, to embed genomic testing within solid tumour cancer pathways.
The intention is to improve molecular testing pathways and associated turnaround times, ensuring equity of access to genomic services across the region.
The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) project supported this by engaging with the workforce to understand current levels of genomic awareness, knowledge, and skills as well as challenges and learning preferences that will enable the effective embedding of genomics in cancer pathways.
A survey was developed entitled ‘Genomics in Cancer Care’ and is being distributed amongst workforce groups. A link to this can be found here https://bit.ly/3Dh9Bfk
Findings from the survey were built upon and explored through one-on-one interviews with workforce representatives in instances where respondents opt-in for further engagement.
Outcomes from the TNA have identified gaps in current genomics education and training amongst the workforce, and informed recommendations about the development of new educational materials, which in turn would equip the workforce with the appropriate knowledge and skills to mainstream genomics within cancer care.
The responses were used to generate a report, available to view here.
Partnerships
GatewayC
GatewayC is a free online cancer education platform developed for primary care professionals across England, aiming to improve cancer outcomes by facilitating earlier diagnosis and improving patient experience. The platform is fully funded by Health Education England and assists users in confidently identifying, referring, and supporting patients with symptoms of a suspected cancer pathway.
The Alliance can provide and signpost you to a wide range of continued professional development, education, and training resources available, including those produced by our partners across the North West including the national NHS England's Genomic Education Programme who have a wealth of education and training materials, to inform healthcare professionals about the impact of genomics on clinical practice. Please visit: genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk
RCGP Genomics Toolkit
The RCGP Genomics Toolkit has been developed in partnership with Health Education England's Genomics Education Programme to support increasing understanding, raise awareness of Genomics Medicine and support primary care with increased knowledge of how genomics can contribute to improving patient care in a 'genomics era'.
Courses on Lipid disorders and cardiovascular risk.
Courses - Heart UK Website
Learn the principles and language of genomic variant interpretation and enhance your working knowledge of the ACMG guidelines.
Interpreting Genomic Variation: Fundamental Principles - Future Learn Website
Explore how robust variant interpretation is needed to support patients with increased risk of cancer.
Interpreting Genomic Variation: Inherited Cancer Susceptibility - Future Learn Website
The NWGLH has collated a collection of educational resources, including Foundation and Intermediate level
There is an additional resource being developed by Health Education England called GeNotes. Support in relation to using the National Test Directory (NTD) and how to order a test will also be available soon.
https://mft.nhs.uk/nwglh/nwglh-education-and-training-resources/
Genomics England have developed additional resources to support healthcare professionals in having discussions about the NGRL. This includes a 1-minute video that provides an overview of what it means to take part in the NGRL.
The video is aimed at patients & family members in the NHS Genomic Medicine Service, who are being the opportunity to contribute to the NGRL because of their rare disease or cancer. It may also be useful for clinicians who are responsible for offering the NGRL to patients or used for education & training purposes. Clinicians may show this video to their patients as part of a clinic appointment, or send a link before or after an appointment. It should be used alongside other resources about the NGRL, which can be found at https://www.genomicsengland.co.uk/clinicians/resources, including:
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- A detailed patient information sheet about the NGRL
- A simpler one-page information sheet about the NGRL that links to the GEL website
- A guidance document for developing any local information about the NGRL
Genomics England and NGRL would like to understand how this video is being used, so are asking healthcare professionals to complete this feedback form to help improve this resource and consider any additional resources that could support decision-making about the NGRL.
Medics for rare disease is a registered charity that provides education and training resources for medical students and doctors, in relation to rare disease diagnostics.
The organisation began as Barts and The London Society for Rare Diseases in 2011 and became a national project in 2013, as Students4RareDiseases with the help of The LSD Collaborative who was aawarded the Sanofi Genzyme PAL Award.
For more information, visit: https://www.m4rd.org/
The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), with support from the Association of Cancer Physicians (ACP), has developed a e-learning resource on the Fundamentals of Cancer Genomics, targeted at clinical and medical oncologists as well as healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients with cancer.
https://www.rcr.ac.uk/cpd-and-events/rcr-learning-hub/the-fundamentals-of-cancer-genomics/