• 15th July 2025

Genomic Vision Must Include Workforce Action, Say Genetic Counsellors

The Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors (AGNC) has welcomed the UK government’s NHS10-Year Health Plan for England published last week and the recently announced Life Sciences Industrial Strategy, as “ambitious and necessary” steps towards a more preventative, personalised, NHS. However, the AGNC cautions that without urgent investment in the workforce infrastructure, especially within Clinical Genomic Services (CGSs), the national vision may fall short.

“We fully support the NHS’s ambition to make genomics part of everyday healthcare,” says Roberta Rizzo, Chair of the AGNC. “But innovation needs delivery. We need a resilient workforce and equitable services if these plans are to succeed for the patients and communities they aim to serve.”

The AGNC particularly applauds the 10-year plan's emphasis on neighbourhood systems and integrated care. Genetic counsellors are already embedded in community-led services, from cancer pathways to rare disease  initiatives. The AGNC envisions an expanded role for counsellors within local multidisciplinary teams, bringing genomics closer to where people live and receive care.

The strategy also highlights the importance of a broader genomic-aware workforce. The AGNC supports this inclusive vision and advocates for collaboration and insists that, rather than parallel systems, the plan should build on the established training, supervision, and clinical expertise of genetic counsellors to scale services sustainably. Genetic counsellors already collaborate with specialist nurses at all levels, helping with MDT support, training and genomic education.

Alongside the positive step of expanding the Newborn Genomes Programme, families affected by rare and inherited conditions, requiring long-term, emotionally informed care remain limited within the strategy.

Despite significant investment in genomic science, workforce pressures persist. Trust-level recruitment freezes, underemployment of graduates, burnout, and outdated service specifications are placing a strain on vital services.

“Support for families affected by rare and inherited conditions remains limited,” said Rizzo. “Genetic counsellors provide essential, long-term care—but current service models are not keeping pace.”

The AGNC strongly backs the UK’s £650 million commitment to genomics and a dynamic future for personalised medicine. But the association stresses: “Discovery must be matched by delivery. We need to ensure genomics reaches real people in real services.”

 

AGNC’s Call to Action

To ensure success for patients and value for the taxpayer, the AGNC urges the following:

  1. Nationally ring-fenced funding to recruit and retain genetic counsellors
  2. Integration of newly trained staff into permanent NHS roles
  3. Updated Clinical Genomic Service Specification, Transparency from the recent NHS workforce planning initiatives
  4. Stronger collaboration between various structures within the genomic services, using clinical expertise, with clear success metrics and neighbourhood-level engagement

 

A Collaborative Future for Genomics in Communities

As a key partner in the NHS genomics transformation, the AGNC stands ready to help connect service strategy, champion the genetic charities we work with and build a sustainable and inclusive future for the communities we serve.

 

You can also download this statement as a pdf file here.