The UK government has announced plans to offer whole genome sequencing to every newborn in England within the next decade, under a £650 million initiative aimed at predicting and preventing disease. The move is part of a broader 10-year strategy for the NHS focused on early intervention and personalized healthcare.
Speaking with The Daily Telegraph, which first reported on the scheme, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the approach would shift the NHS from diagnosing and treating illness to identifying risk early and preventing disease before symptoms appear. “Genomics presents us with the opportunity to leapfrog disease,” he said. “With the power of this new technology, patients will be able to receive personalized healthcare to prevent ill health before symptoms begin, reducing the pressure on NHS services and helping people live longer, healthier lives.”
Currently, newborn babies in the UK receive a heel prick blood test to screen for nine serious conditions. The proposed genome sequencing program would instead use a blood sample from the umbilical cord to analyse each child’s full DNA sequence, enabling the identification of hundreds of single-gene disorders, as well as risk factors for other complex conditions, according to BBC News. The government’s plan builds on an existing study launched in October 2024, which aimed to sequence the genomes of 100,000 newborns to screen for rare, treatable genetic diseases.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care, genomics and artificial intelligence will be used to deliver faster diagnoses, identify early warning signs of disease, and enable targeted treatments. The government has also pledged to expand the National Genomic Research Library, which is managed by Genomics England and is expected to include over 500,000 genomes by 2030.
However, some experts have expressed concerns about its clinical utility, workforce requirements, and ethical implications. Professor David Curtis, a geneticist at University College London, said polygenic scores used to estimate disease risk offer only marginal predictive value. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, he said: “It isn’t nearly as great as it sounds. This isn’t being driven by doctors. It’s being pushed by enthusiasts and policymakers who are excited about the potential of technology, but who don’t understand its limitations.”
Curtis also questioned the resource allocation, suggesting that the funding might be better spent on established areas of care. “We’re talking about spending a huge amount of money on a technology solution while we can’t provide safe maternity care,” he said. He noted that a key challenge would be the interpretation of results and the communication of genetic risk to families, adding: “You need people to have conversations with individuals who might be affected by genetic disease… One of the things that worries me is the lack of genetic counselors.”
Concerns have also been raised around data protection. Under current programs, genomic data and health records are stored in secure UK-based systems, with identifying information encrypted and access restricted. However, genomic data remains a target for cyberattacks. In 2023, genetic testing company 23andMe was fined £2.31 million for a breach that compromised the personal data of UK users.
The full 10-year NHS strategy is expected to be published in early July. Alongside the expansion of genomic testing, it will propose major shifts in service delivery, including increased use of digital tools, more community-based care, and a stronger focus on prevention. The government says the goal is to create a proactive health service that delivers care “free at the point of risk, not just need.”
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