LAUSR

Evident throughout the conference was the shared commitment of researchers and healthcare practitioners to move genomics directly into the personalised clinical care of patients. At the centre of this is the NHS Genomic Medicine Service which will be rolling out in England from 1 April 2020. In the opening keynote address, Dame Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer for NHS England, outlined the infrastructure that will support this. She emphasized that it is an evidence-based strategy, moving from single gene tests to gene panels, with the aim of standardizing the use of genomics within the healthcare system. New industry partnerships with Illumina will see whole genome sequencing (WGS) tested in routine clinical services, and charitable partnerships with Macmillan will see genomic specialist nurses available to support patients. The challenge going forward will be how best to use this new wealth of information some inspiring examples of which were highlighted by researchers at the Festival.