The South West Genomic Laboratory Hub (SWGLH) is a partnership between Bristol Genetics Laboratory and Exeter Genomics Laboratory.
- Bristol Genetics Laboratory, based at North Bristol NHS Trust on the Southmead site, is where all cancer genomic testing for the South West takes place, along with a range of rare disease genomic testing.
- Exeter Genomics Laboratory is based at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust on the Wonford site. Exeter Genomics Laboratory provides specialised rare disease genomic testing services, including some national services such as the NHS Rapid Whole Genome Sequencing Service (R14).
The SWGLH also provides some specialist rare disease tests for NHS patients in other regions.
The Genomic Medicine Service network
The South West Genomic Laboratory Hub (SWGLH) is one of seven Genomic Laboratory Hubs commissioned from 2018 to deliver genomic testing services in accordance with the National Genomic Test Directory.
Get in touch
The SWGLH is the point-of-access for all genomic tests listed in the National Genomic Test Directory for rare diseases and for cancer
To get in touch with us, please visit the contact us page.
Funding of tests
The SWGLH is directly funded for service delivery so there will be no provider-to-provider invoicing for NHS tests specified by the national Genomic Test Directory (NGTD), and patients meeting the eligibility criteria.
The following tests will be performed in one of the SWGLH laboratories:
- All cancer and haemato-oncology indications – Bristol
- All common rare disease indications – Bristol or Exeter
- Specialist tests for neurology, cardiac and renal indications – Bristol
- Specialist tests for endocrine indications – Exeter
- National rapid exome sequencing service (R14) – Exeter
Samples for the following test indications should be sent to the SWGLH but will be processed and forwarded to a different specialist laboratory in the GLH network. Results will be sent directly to the requesting clinical team:
- Specialist haematology
- Specialist ophthalmology
- Specialist gastrohepatology
- Specialist hearing
- Specialist immunology
- Specialist inherited cancer
- Specialist metabolic
- Specialist mitochondrial
- Specialist musculoskeletal
- Specialist respiratory
- Specialist skin
- Non-invasive pre-natal diagnosis