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Cancer: Screening

Question for Department of Health and Social Care

UIN 75353, tabled on 16 July 2020

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on genomic testing capacity for cancer within the NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs network.

Answered on

2 September 2020

NHS England and NHS Improvement closely monitored the effect on genomic testing services of COVID-19, including the impact of the redeployment of equipment and staff to support COVID-19 testing. In order to ensure continuity of the genomic testing services, NHS England and NHS Improvement published prioritisation guidance at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/guidance-to-the-nhs-genomic-medicine-service-in-response-to-covid-19/

NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to work closely with the Genomic Laboratory Hubs to monitor any impacts on testing capacity.