The NHS Genomics Medicine Service launched in 2018 by then health secretary Matt Hancock, is experiencing such significant backlogs that families with children who may have a rare genetic condition are waiting over a year for results from whole genome sequencing, the Guardian reports.
Just under 60,000 patient genomes were sent for sequencing to Illumina, a private biotechnology company, in the first three years of its five year contract to sequence 300,000 genomes for the NHS.
A rapid genome sequencing service for children in intensive care was launched in October 2023 (see BioNews 1063).
