Genomics is becoming a routine part of clinical practice, helping healthcare professionals with patient diagnosis, treatment, and management. Building confidence in genomics is increasingly important to ensure you can deliver personalised, evidence-based care for patients with cancer, rare diseases, and other genetic conditions.
Education events
The South West Genomic Medicine Service is proud to host regular education events to support healthcare professionals. Whether you are looking to expand your rare disease knowledge, or are exploring ways to embed cancer genomics into your daily practice, our carefully tailored events offer the perfect balance of hands-on learning, knowledge sharing, and workshops designed to build your confidence and skillset.
The Genomics Education Programme (GEP)
Health Education England’s Genomics Education Programme (GEP) delivers and advises on learning and development opportunities that prepare current and future NHS professionals to make the best use of genomics in their practice.
Launched in 2014, the GEP was created to ensure that our NHS workforce has the knowledge, skills and experience to keep the UK at the heart of the genomics revolution in healthcare.
To find out more about the GEP and its educational opportunities for the NHS workforce, visit the GEP website.
Genomic Educators' Network (GeNET)
We are part of a nationally led Genomic Educators’ Network (GeNET), bringing together education and training leads working in the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (Genomic Medicine Service Alliances and Genomic Laboratory Hubs). By fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation, GeNET aims to enhance the quality and accessibility of genomics education and training and provide opportunities for the genomics workforce educators to access continuing professional development and research opportunities.
Education resources
In addition to our events, the South West Genomic Medicine Service develops a wide range of resources to support healthcare professionals in embedding genomics into everyday practice. This includes the creation of practical materials to aid mainstreaming, as well as pathways and guidance tailored to specific areas such as cancer and rare disease.
We also provide information designed to support patients, ensuring you have tools to communicate complex genomic concepts clearly and effectively. Our work is heavily informed by patient and public voice (PPV), ensuring resources reflect real-world needs and experiences. Together, these materials complement our offer, giving you both the knowledge and practical guidance to confidently integrate genomics into patient care.
Example resources
Learning passports for nurses and midwives
With genomics increasingly playing a part in routine patient care, it’s important that all nurses and midwives have a level of genomics knowledge appropriate to their role. This need is outlined in the NMC Standards of Proficiency for registered nurses and midwives
To support you in your role, various groups and organisations have come together to develop learning passports to help guide and enhance your learning.
- Genomics Learning Passport for Midwives – the national Genomics Education Programme (GEP) and a specialist midwifery group have been working together to develop the Genomics Learning Passport for Midwives. This aims to guide you through key resources, starting with the basics and progressing through to specialist learning.
- Genomics Learning Passport for Nurses – the Central and South Genomic Medicine Service team have developed the Genomics Learning Passport for Nurses. This aims to guide nursing practitioners through different phases of learning.
We invite you to take a look at the resources by clicking on the links above.
Webinars
The Genomic Medicine Service network deliver excellent webinars regarding a number of different Genomics topics.
You can learn more on the individual YouTube Channels below:
Podcasts
The Road to Genome
The Road to Genome podcast provides an exciting opportunity to journey into the fast-moving and innovative field of genomic medicine.
Genomics England: Behind the Genes
Behind the Genes covers everything from the latest in cutting-edge research to real-life stories from those affected by rare conditions and cancer.
One in Six Billion
The One in Six Billion podcast is aimed to inform about all aspects of genetics in diabetes but particularly concentrating on the unusual genetic forms of diabetes.
