Written question WQ82898
- Asked by
- Sarah MurphyLabour
- To be answered by
- Minister for Health and Social Services
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 9 days
Question
Does the Welsh Government support genome sequencing of newborn babies in Wales?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Health and Social Services
The Welsh Government supports using precision medicine to provide diagnostic information to help critically ill babies and children with unexplained diseases in Wales.
In April 2020, with Welsh Government funding, the All Wales Medical Genomics Service launched WINGS (Wales Infants’ and Children’s Genome Service). In just one test, whole genome sequencing is able to rapidly diagnose thousands of rare neurological, metabolic and other genetic diseases in a patient's DNA.
This is the first service of its kind being established within an NHS setting in the UK, offering improved patient management with shorter hospital stays and fewer invasive procedures.