Every baby born in the UK will soon have their DNA tested as part of a sweeping 10-year plan to transform the National Health Service (NHS) into a system focused on prevention rather than treatment.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting unveiled the ambitious initiative in an interview with The Telegraph, announcing that whole-genome sequencing will be used to screen for hundreds of diseases at birth, giving future generations the ability to “leapfrog” life-threatening illnesses.
“The revolution in medical science means that we can transform the NHS over the coming decade, from a service which diagnoses and treats ill health to one that predicts and prevents it,” Streeting said in a statement.
“Genomics presents us with the opportunity to leapfrog disease, so we’re in front of it rather than reacting to it.”
The government has pledged £650 million towards genomics research, which will help make personalised medicine a key feature of the future NHS.
The move is part of the forthcoming Life Sciences Sector Plan, set to be released in early July.
Currently, newborns receive a heel-prick blood spot test around the fifth day after birth, which checks for nine rare but serious conditions.
With whole-genome sequencing, however, samples would typically be collected from the umbilical cord shortly after birth, allowing for far more comprehensive screening.
Streeting, who has consistently pushed for a more preventative healthcare system, said the integration of technologies like artificial intelligence will allow earlier diagnosis and intervention.
“With the power of this new technology, patients will be able to receive personalised healthcare to prevent ill health before symptoms begin, reducing the pressure on NHS services and helping people live longer, healthier lives,” he said.
The 10-year NHS plan also includes two major structural shifts: relocating care from hospitals to community settings and transitioning from analogue to digital services, forming a blueprint for a tech-driven, prevention-first health service.
