At least one in 20 people under the age of 25 develops a serious disease with an important genetic component. The Genetics team at BWH was the brainchild of Professor John Hilton Edwards. His work gained global impact in the 1960s when he described Edwards Syndrome, the most common disease caused by having an extra chromosome, after Down’s Syndrome.
BWH continues to be at the heart of genetic research and patient care, transforming diagnosis and treatment for patients with cancer and rare diseases and is also one of the collaborative 100,000 Genomes Project centres.
Based at Birmingham Women’s Hospital, the West Midlands Regional Genetics Services provides a local service at regional clinics throughout the West Midlands. The service offers support to individuals and families undergoing investigation of a genetic condition by providing diagnostic expertise, information, genetic counselling, management and on-going support.
This service is provided in conjunction with the genetic laboratories here at Birmingham Women’s Hospital which are the largest laboratories of their kind in Europe and many of its tests are accredited by the UK Accreditation Service.
Find out more
Genetic Laboratory Services
Genetic testing may be carried out for a number of reasons, including:
- diagnosing a person with a genetic condition
- helping work out the chances of a person developing a particular condition
- determining if a person is a carrier of a certain genetic mutation that could be inherited by any children they have
If you are a healthcare provider, or would like to know more about the tests, click here.
Referral information
If you are a healthcare professional looking for information about referrals, clinical guidance, support for patients or family history forms click here
