NHS England has announced eleven Genomic Medicine Centres that will lead the way in delivering the 100,000 Genomes Project. This marks the start of the main phase of the Project in 2015.
It is anticipated that there will be over 75,000 participants, which will include some patients with life threatening and debilitating disease. The GMCs with begin recruitment to the project from 2nd February 2015.
After samples are collected, they will be sent securely to Illumina, a company who have been procured by Genomics England to sequence the whole genomes and analyse them. Results will be sent back to the NHS for validation and clinical action.
The GMCs have a track-record of providing excellence in genomic services and have been evaluated by NHS England to ensure they meet the requirements to deliver the project.
Eligible patients who are interested in getting involved will be referred to GMCs by their clinicians.
Sir John Chisholm, Executive Chair of Genomics England said;
“The creation of the new NHS Genomic Medicine Centres will allow engagement and feedback to patients with rare disease, cancer and infection from the 100,000 Genomes Project and represent the beginning of building a lasting legacy of infrastructure enabling us to deliver world-leading healthcare in the NHS.”
Professor Mark Caulfield, Chief Scientist at Genomics England said;
“The creation of the new NHS Genomic Medicine Centres will play a key role in bringing together researchers, NHS clinicians and trainees to work as part of Genomic England’s Clinical Interpretation Partnership on whole genome data that has never been collected on this scale before. We have a clear goal of accelerating the findings from the programme back into mainstream healthcare at the fastest possible pace, meaning more rapid results for patients.
“For patients with rare diseases, we hope to help with diagnoses, for cancer patients we hope the programme will help to target medicines more appropriately and for infectious diseases it may help to generate new opportunities for therapies for these diseases.”
Designated Genomic Medicine Centres
NB: A further wave of GMCs will be procured to ensure that there is comprehensive coverage across the NHS in England.
- East of England NHS GMC – designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
- South London NHS GMC – designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
- North West Coast NHS GMC – designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust.
- Greater Manchester NHS GMC – designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- University College London Partners NHS GMC – designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- North East and North Cumbria NHS GMC – designated GMC for rare disease only. Led by The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
- Oxford NHS GMC – designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust.
- South West Peninsula NHS GMC – designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust.
- Wessex NHS GMC – designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.
- Imperial College Health Partners NHS GMC – designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
- West Midlands NHS GMC – designated for both cancer and rare disease. Led by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.