TO BE PUBLISHED January 2026
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This conference will examine next steps for genomics in the UK as the Genome UK: shared commitments for UK-wide implementation 2022 to 2025 and subsequent implementation plans conclude this year. With genomics identified as a priority area in the 10-Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan, the agenda will explore its evolving role in the shift toward a more preventative and personalised health system, and wider implications for research, care delivery, population health and system integration.
It will be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to discuss strategic priorities for embedding genomics in mainstream healthcare, including coordination across the four nations. Infrastructure needs to support a new genomic population health service will be considered, and what will be required from ICBs and neighbourhood providers to enable data-informed commissioning and provision of care. Attendees will assess proposals in the Life Sciences Sector Plan, including the role of the new Health Data Research Service and what is needed to develop infrastructure required to deliver a comprehensive genomics ecosystem which maximises patient benefit.
Delegates will consider practical steps toward equitable access to personalised medicine, including the rollout of genomic testing and targeted treatments, and discuss implementation challenges around whole genome sequencing for newborns. Priorities for expanding the NHS genomics workforce will be discussed, looking at funding and delivery capacity, and building system-wide readiness for AI-supported clinical decision-making based on genomic insights. It will be an opportunity to assess priorities for supporting healthcare professionals to communicate complex results, as well as next steps for standardising whole genome sequencing service delivery processes across the NHS in order to reduce variation and enhance efficiency.
Further planned sessions focus on approaches to patient consent, privacy, and data use - including the management of actionable findings, secondary data uses, and trust in de-identified datasets. We also expect the agenda to explore evolving regulatory frameworks and evidence requirements for test evaluation and commissioning, as well as future options for supporting innovation through collaboration, infrastructure investment, and joined-up research and clinical activity.
With the agenda currently in the drafting stage, overall areas for discussion include:
- genome UK strategy:
- progress against the Genome UK: 2022 to 2025 implementation plan - priorities for a post-2025 strategy
- coordination between the four UK nations - a long-term vision for integrating genomics in NHS care
- policy:
- 10-Year Health Plan:
- creating a new genomic population health service - integrating genomics with the Neighbourhood Health Service
- utilising genomic insights to support care provision and commissioning - supporting implementation of cancer genomics
- Life Sciences Sector Plan: assessing the impact of the strategy on UK genomics, including measures for strengthening the UK’s global leadership in clinical genomics - examining the role of the new Health Data Research Service, and considering the infrastructure needed to develop a cohesive ecosystem
- 2025 Spending Review: assessing increased funding for the NHS in England and health R&D
- population screening expansion:
- expanding DNA testing to all newborns - breast cancer risk profiling, and targeted screening
- criteria for actionable findings - resolving tensions around clinical benefit, parental choice and health system capacity
- ethical, consent, and data issues: standards for patient consent - building public trust in genomic data use - de-identification and privacy - management of data storage and secondary uses
- regulation and evidence:
- updated frameworks for genomic test evaluation by NICE and NHS England - commissioning aligned with clinical evidence
- rapid introduction of new technologies and updated test directories
- personalised medicine access: equitable access to genomic testing and treatments - regional variation - uptake in underserved groups - links between pharmacogenomics and routine prescribing
- AI and innovation: readiness for AI-powered risk prediction - the role of genomic data in clinical decision-making - governance for use of machine learning in genomics
- workforce skills and capacity: provision of training - recruitment and retention challenges - future workforce needs - support for clinical, data and laboratory staff development
- collaboration and funding models: cross-sector partnerships between NHS, academia and industry - infrastructure for research and clinical integration - value from public and private investment
