Health written question – answered at on 15 June 2005.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she is taking to reduce the time taken to undertake genetic testing.
The 2003 genetics White Paper, Our inheritance, our future—realising the potential of genetics in the NHS", announced £18 million to upgrade national health service genetics laboratories in England. As a result of this increase in laboratory capacity, we expect that by 2006 genetic test results should be available:
Within three days where the result is needed urgently, for example, for prenatal diagnosis.
Within two weeks where the potential genetic mutation is already known, for example, because another family member have already been tested.
Within eight weeks for unknown mutations in a large gene.
This initiative builds on earlier investments by the Department, including £11 million in specialised genetics services from 2001 and two national genetic reference laboratories to explore the use of new technologies in NHS genetic laboratories. The genetics White Paper also announced that it would boost the future workforce in NHS genetic laboratories by funding up to 90 healthcare scientist trainees in genetics and 10 trainer posts.
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