Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of (a) workforce capacity, (b) laboratory capacity and (c) digital infrastructure across Genomic Laboratory Hubs in the context of future demand for genomic testing.

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (NHS GMS) and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs).

To support future demand for genomic testing, NHS England has undertaken a procurement for NHS GMS Lead Providers from 2026, with all providers identified and contractual arrangements in the final stages of completion. This will enable moving towards a new delivery model for the NHS GMS, including delivering capacity in the NHS GLHs.

NHS England, including the NHS Genomics Education Programme, has been working in collaboration with colleagues across the health service to undertake workforce planning to address gaps in numbers and skills, ensuring that the NHS workforce has the right capacity and capabilities in genomic medicine. This includes building capacity within the NHS GMS through support for specialist healthcare professionals, including genomic counsellors, clinical scientists, and specialists in genomic medicine.

NHS England has established a genomics data and digital programme to deliver the commitments in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan, including a digital National Genomic Test Directory, Genomics Order Management, and a Unified Genomic Record.