New plan to deliver world-leading genomic healthcare

Patients across the UK are set to benefit from better healthcare and treatments as the government sets out how it will continue to deliver world-leading genomic healthcare.

Genomics is the study of genetic information and can help diagnose diseases earlier and more accurately, reduce some invasive procedures and enable tailored treatments.

Building on the success of the 100,000 Genomes Project, the government’s commitment is to sequence one million whole genomes – 500,000 genomes in the NHS and 500,000 in UK Biobank, which will transform healthcare in the UK and create jobs.

The new Genome UK implementation plan 2021 to 2022 sets out 27 commitments to deliver over the next year including five high-priority actions. These are: faster diagnosis and treatment of cancer; whole genome sequencing for patients with rare diseases and cancer as part of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service; closer engagement with different communities to ensure diverse datasets; recruiting five million people to the Our Future Health research project; and developing global standards and policies for sharing genomic and related health data.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We will transform the UK into a life sciences superpower. We’ll build on the success story of our life sciences during the pandemic which has led the world in everything from vaccine development, to finding effective treatments that work, to genomic sequencing.

“Today we’ve published our Genome UK implementation plan for how we can build on this even further including our commitment to sequence one million whole genomes. Because genomics saves lives, and I’m determined the UK stays at the forefront of this vital new technology. If we draw on ingenuity like this, we can keep up the fight against Covid-19, and also tackle the other things that stop us living healthier lives like cancer, dementia, and heart disease.

“So, we’re increasing UK investment in research and development bringing much more of the supply chain onshore sparing no effort to attract the brightest innovators and the best manufacturers and the benefits will be felt in Newquay, Newport, Newry and Newton Mearns.”