This slide deck is designed to be used by individuals providing education and training to clinicians in their region who will be requesting whole genome sequencing (WGS) for their patients. It can be adapted for local use.
The slides were developed by the Genomics Education Programme (GEP) collaboratively with the education and training leads in the Genomic Laboratory Hubs, and with support from NHS England and Genomics England.
Background
NHS England and NHS Improvement is implementing the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS), which will include the introduction of clinical whole genome sequencing (WGS) for certain rare disease indications and cancers.
WGS in the GMS will involve a ‘Patient Choice’ consent model, which covers both the clinical implications of a test, as well as an offer to participate in the National Genomic Research Library (NGRL), within the clinical pathway.
Some clinicians will have experience with genomic testing, and/or the 100,000 Genomes Project, which involved a similar research offer as the NGRL. However, for other clinicians this may be new information.
The GEP is developing a number of resources to support clinicians who will be requesting WGS in the GMS. For more information and resources, please see our GMS hub. We have also developed a competency framework for facilitating consent to genomic testing, which is relevant to WGS as well as other genomic tests.
