Genomics Research in Primary Care

Cluster C are working with partners, to develop and implement a plan which will drive better delivery of research studies involving genomics in NHS Primary Care settings. The project involves 3 workstreams.

The table above describes a plan which will drive better delivery of research studies involving genomics in NHS Primary Care settings. The project involves 3 workstreams: 

The first workstream is Informatics, Family History and Phenotyping which includes IT, Coding, Big Data and health economics and is led by Phil Evans.

The second workstream is Operationalising Genomics Research to include Pharmacogenomics and ‘buy-in’ for Primary care, ethical data regulation, practicalities of process for delivery for example working with labs and genomics research centres and is led by Imran Rafi.

The third workstream is Developing the Genomics workforce which will include education, GP engagement and learning, workforce capacity building, scoping exemplars in stratified medicine around ethics, consent and data sharing and is led by Jude Hayward.

The NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) has now published a joint paper in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) on preparing primary and community care NHS organisations for genomic research.

The report, led by Professor Philip Evans on behalf of the NIHR CRN National Primary Care Specialty Group and produced in collaboration with RCGP’s Genomics Champion Drs Hayward and Rafi - formed part of the Cluster C Emerging Technology and Innovation (ETI) programme, based in King’s College.

The new genomic revolution is predicted to impact on mainstream medicine and the heart of the NHS in the near future. The NIHR CRN has worked through its stratified medicine initiative to prepare the NHS for personalised medicine studies. However, it has become apparent that primary and community care may not be as prepared for the advent of genomic medicine studies as other parts of the NHS - in areas such as family history reporting, recording of genomic abnormalities through clinical data systems, or through the recording of detailed phenotypic traits.

Three key workstreams were identified as part of the programme of work and stakeholders in each workstream approached. The newly published report is the outcome of this collaborative project and contains recommendations from both organisations to promote genomic research in primary and community care.