Question reference: S6W-08167
- 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 16 May 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-03514 by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2021, what engagement the National Services Division and Scottish Genomics Leadership Group are having with the pharmaceutical industry and academia on the design of sustainable genetic laboratories and frontline genetics services that would benefit patients and attract clinical research to Scotland.
Answer
Engagement is ongoing with industry, academia and other interested stakeholders in the expansion of NHS Scotland capabilities for genomics. 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 Genetic Major Service Review as well as considerations for further genomics expansion.
Our genetic laboratories are engaged with NHS Board Research and Development departments as well as a number of academic institutions and charity organisations regarding clinical research in Scotland.
In particular, the genetic laboratory in Glasgow has been working with the Glasgow Precision Oncology Laboratory (GPOL), oncology colleagues and eHealth to build a platform for the delivery of clinical trials in cancer patients. This platform will enable the delivery of clinical grade next generation sequencing as well as novel systems for the collation of all diagnostic results including genomics, for cancer patients.