GEP report sets out training action needed to support clinical bioinformatics
Health Education England’s Genomics Education Programme has published ‘Developing Clinical Bioinformatics Training in the NHS’
This timeline for action sets out the immediate and long-term clinical bioinformatics training requirements related to the introduction of genomic technologies across the healthcare services in England.
The report, authored by Professor Sian Ellard from the University of Exeter Medical School and Professor Dame Janet Thornton of the European Bioinformatics Institute, sets out 10 recommendations around the training provision and resourcing of bioinformaticians across all the clinical professions of the healthcare workforce. It also provides a number of examples showing how the implementation of clinical bioinformatic techniques have provided direct patient benefit for people with cancer and rare disease.
Launching the report, Professor Ellard said: “The 100,000 genomes project provides a unique opportunity to build the clinical bioinformatics profession however the seismic shift required should not be underestimated. If we take the right steps to build on the current bioinformatics service provision, we can develop the new skills required to deliver the full potential of genomic medicine for maximum clinical benefit.”
