The United Kingdom National Screening Committee recently recommended that the use of Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing should be evaluated as an additional screening test in the antenatal screening programme for Down\u2019s syndrome, Edwards\u2019 syndrome and Patau syndrome. In addition to this, the use of next generation sequencing is currently being evaluated in the diagnostic pathway for babies found to be screen positive for cystic fibrosis.<\/p>
<\/p>
From October 2018, the National Health Service\u2019s Genomic Medicine Service will, for the first time, be supported by a comprehensive directory of genomic tests for specified cancers and rare diseases that encompasses the entire testing repertoire from Whole Genomic Sequencing to tests for single genes, molecular markers and other functional genomic tests.<\/p>
<\/p>
This National Genomic Test Directory will be updated on an annual basis to keep pace with scientific and technological advances with a systematic review process in place to ensure continued value through the co-ordinated replacement of older tests with new and emerging approaches.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Test Directory will be updated annually, following advice from an expert scientific and clinical committee that will be established to operate in accordance with NHS England\u2019s specialised services commissioning processes.<\/p>
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The Chief Medical Officer for England\u2019s annual report \u2018Generation Genome\u2019 provided a comprehensive overview of the role of clinical genomic testing and is being taken forward via the Minister-chaired National Genomics Board.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4008", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Gosport"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Dinenage"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-06-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-06-13T15:36:59.763Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-06-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Genetics: Screening"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment (a) his Department and (b) Public Health England have made of the role of (i) genetic testing and (ii) population level genomic data to improve public health.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"} ], "uin" : "150116"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/917327", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/917327/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The United Kingdom has a strong history of conducting cohort studies of this kind. The Department\u2019s National Institute for Health Research welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including localised population-based genetic research studies. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4008", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Gosport"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Dinenage"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-06-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-06-12T13:53:59.777Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-06-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Genetics: Screening"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are plans in place to undertake a localised population-based genetic research study in England; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"} ], "uin" : "150117"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/917328", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/917328/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
In the Cancer Strategy for England, the independent Cancer Taskforce recommended that all women with non-mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer should be offered testing for BRCA1/BRCA2 at the point of diagnosis, and that all women under the age of 50 diagnosed with breast cancer should be offered testing for BRCA1/BRCA2 at the point of diagnosis.<\/p>
<\/p>
Testing women at the point of diagnosis can ensure access to the most relevant treatment and enable family members to understand their own risk and take preventative action where appropriate.<\/p>
<\/p>
As part of the National Health Service\u2019s new Genomic Medicine Service, NHS England will publish a Test Directory to specify the genetic and genomic testing available in the NHS in England. The Test Directory will encompass the entire genetic and genomic testing repertoire, from Whole Genomic Sequencing to large panel tests and tests for single genes.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Test Directory will be updated annually, following advice from an expert scientific and clinical committee that will be established to operate in accordance with NHS England\u2019s specialised services commissioning processes.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4008", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Gosport"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Dinenage"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-06-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-06-13T15:36:01.56Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-06-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Genetics: Screening"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of rolling out population-wide genetic testing for mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"} ], "uin" : "150118"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/855776", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/855776/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government has welcomed and accepted the recommendations in the Chief Medical Officer for England Annual Report \u2018Generation Genome\u2019 published in July 2017. In her report, Dame Sally Davies recommended the recommissioning of genomics services nationally.<\/p>
<\/p>
NHS England launched a procurement for genomic laboratory services in December 2017, which is still live. The aim of the procurement is to put in place a world-class resource for the National Health Service delivering cutting-edge genomic technology to deliver equitable access for patient benefit. As part of the evaluation NHS England will assess, amongst other areas, the proposed organisational and governance structures of the genomic laboratories and their ability to deliver high quality genomic tests equitably to patients across England.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4065", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thurrock"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jackie Doyle-Price"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-03-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-03-08T11:57:12Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-03-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Genetics: Screening"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Government has made of the effect on (a) jobs and (b) patient care of the potential reduction of genetic testing facilities in Newcastle.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"} ], "uin" : "131081"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/800812", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/800812/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is working with the Association of British Insurers to renew the existing Concordat and Moratorium. We will be seeking the views of an established group of stakeholders with a view to publication in early 2018 ahead of the end date of the Concordat and Moratorium in November 2019.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4065", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thurrock"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jackie Doyle-Price"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-12-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-12-07T17:16:56.767Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-12-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Genetics: Screening"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will consult on extending the moratorium that allows people not to declare the results of genetic tests to insurers after 1 November 2019; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1493", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Charles Walker"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Broxbourne"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Charles Walker"} ], "uin" : "117433"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/757687", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/757687/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
NHS England is currently preparing to procure a network of genomic laboratory hubs. A full service specification will be issued at the start of the formal procurement process that will set out the requirements for the future informatics and data infrastructure, including the storage of genetic data.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4065", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thurrock"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jackie Doyle-Price"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-09-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-09-13T15:45:48.023Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-09-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Genetics: Screening"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to issue technology guidelines to the new regional genetics laboratories in England on the storage of genetic data.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"} ], "uin" : "8801"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/757692", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/757692/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
NHS England is currently preparing to procure a network of genomic laboratory hubs. A full service specification will be issued at the start of the formal procurement process that will set out the requirements for the future informatics infrastructure.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4065", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thurrock"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jackie Doyle-Price"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-09-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-09-13T15:56:25.003Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-09-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Genetics: Screening"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what additional funding has been made available for the new regional genetic testing centres for IT infrastructure to exchange and store genetic testing data.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4124", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chi Onwurah"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle upon Tyne Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chi Onwurah"} ], "uin" : "8798"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/747621", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/747621/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The data on BRCA1/2 testing rates is now available for 2014/15 and 2015/16 for England and Scotland. The published data can be downloaded from the UK Genetic Testing Network website at:<\/p>