Question reference: S6W-08163
- Asked by: Dr. Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 22 April 2022 Registered interest
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Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 May 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that genetic testing is embedded as a standard of care in the treatment pathways for people with cancers.
Answer
The Scottish Government fully recognises the role of genomics in improving patient outcomes particularly for people with cancer. Our genetic laboratories across Scotland already provide a range of cancer genetic tests to support the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
We have committed £6.2 million of funding to genomics in 2022-23 which will support expanding our genomics capabilities in NHS Scotland.
Furthermore, we have provided funding to NSD to establish a Transformation Team led by a Lead Clinical Scientist alongside resource that specialises in transformative programme management and Data Analytics. The Team will be operational from June 2022.
This team will be responsible for delivering the rapid adoption of a number of genetic tests for cancer across the genetic laboratories as well as developing an action plan for the implementation of the recommendations from the Genetic Laboratory Major Service Review.
Over the coming months we will be expanding the membership of our Scottish Genomics Leadership Group (SGLG) and relevant work streams to include a wider pool of stakeholders than those currently on the SGLG. This expanded structure will consider the recommendations from the Major Services Review as well as considerations for further genomics expansion. The availability of genetic testing for the treatment of cancer as a standard of care will be a key consideration of the work taken forward.