Aniko Varadi, Director for the Centre for Research in Biosciences (CRIB) summarises its contribution to the field below:
“The UK’s National Health Service (NHS), as an integrated healthcare system, is in a unique position to lead the world on implementing genomics in routine clinical care and treatment, known as mainstreaming. Empowering the wider workforce to harness the power of genomics presents one of the biggest challenges for the NHS Genomic Medicine Service as well as for many
health systems globally. It is therefore essential to understand the competency and confidence of frontline clinical staff in genomics to effectively support and deliver on the mainstreaming agenda.
Our results revealed that the largest patient facing clinical workforce – nurses and midwives – in the NHS do not currently have the basic subject knowledge, understanding and confidence that would enable them to integrate genomics into their day-to-day service.
This study identified easy to follow competencies that are important for practicing nurses and midwives for mainstreaming; we propose a training programme that addresses the gap that these professionals currently have that enable them to harness genomic opportunities for their patients. Effective nurse-led services have the potential to transform healthcare through improving patient experience, reducing waiting times and overall
costs. Findings from our study are widely applicable for genomic workforce development globally.”
The full paper can be accessed on the Frontiers in Genetics web pages.