South East GMSA
The NHS South East Genomic Medicine Service Alliance
The application of genomic technologies across end-to-end patient pathways has the potential to transform patient’s lives through quicker diagnosis and the delivery of personalised medicine and care plans which are better suited and tailored to treat the underlying cause. A national network of 7 NHS Genomic Medicine Service Alliances (GMSAs) will support the systematic embedding of genomics into routine clinical care and the rapid adoption of scientific advances through collaborative partnership working across disciplines and geographies.
The South East GMSA will build on the successful partnerships that have formed across our geography over the past few years through our NHS South London Genomic Medicine Centre (GMC) and more recently, the NHS Genomic Laboratory Hub (GLH).
Our GMSA geography covers approximately 15.4% of the population of England and brings a range of opportunities for the region that will be driven through the Alliance Network, including our region’s Integrated Care Systems, Cancer Alliances and Primary Care Networks. The work of the South East GMSA will build on that of extensive existing local and regional clinical networks across a broad range of specialties and work with patient and public representatives.
The GMSA will work in close collaboration with the GLH to ensure patients fully benefit from advances in genomics, bringing together a national test directory and equitable access to standardised testing pathways with exciting clinical opportunities afforded by new detailed understanding about people’s underlying genetic profiles.
Our aim
The South East GMSA will seek to improve patient outcomes through care pathway development and enabling timely and equitable access to genomic testing and genomically informed treatments across primary and secondary care in our geographic region.
The GMSA will focus on reducing unwarranted variation and delivering the NHS Long Term Plan commitments to make demonstrable improvements to outcomes in the following areas for our patients and the populations we serve:
- equitable access to standardised end-to-end pathways of care, including genomic testing, clinical genetics and counselling services
- access to treatments and medicine optimisation driven by comprehensive genomic and diagnostic characterisation
- access to clinical trials
- active participation and contribution to genomic research to advance clinical care for patient and societal benefit.
Our key priorities
The regional GMSAs will focus on the following priorities:
- Completion of the 100,000 Genomes Project
- Retaining and building patient and public trust in genomics
- Strengthening partnerships across the geography
- Using genomics to improve health and care productivity, quality and efficiency
- Supporting the multi-professional workforce to use genomics safely, effectively and efficiently
- Maximising opportunities to facilitate and participate in research and innovation
- Operating as a national network and representing the NHS GMS internationally
Our transformation projects
The South East GMSA is achieving its aims through a programme of national and regional transformation projects.
HEE Genomics Education Programme
Our Alliance Partners
Meet the GMSA team
Sean Whittaker
Medical Director
Frances Elmslie
Clinical Director
Tootie Bueser
Director of Nursing & Midwifery
Lucy Galloway
Pharmacy Lead
Nisha Shaunak
Pharmacy Lead
Simone Gelinas
Senior Programme Manager
Karen Sleigh
Senior Programme Manager
Dominic Studart
Nursing Lead
Joanne Hargrave
Midwifery Lead
Nicola Husain
Education & Training Lead
Heidy Brandon
Education & Training Lead
Andrea Forman
Genetic Counselling Lead
David McKinnon
Digital and Informatics Lead
Mohammed Khan
Digital and Informatics Programme Manager
Max Whibley
Pathology Lead
Anju Kulkarni
Clinical Genetics Service Lead (GSTT)
Frances Elmslie
Clinical Genetics Service Lead (SGUH)
Senior Responsible Officers (SRO)
Vinodh Kumar
Pharmacy SRO
Avey Bhatia
Nursing & Midwifery SRO
Michael Simpson
Research & Innovation SRO
Transformation Project Clinical Leads
Tony Wierzbicki
Familial Hypercholesterolaemia
National Project
Adam Shaw
Lynch
National Project
Anna Brackenridge
Monogenic Diabetes
National Project
Ali Chakera
Monogenic Diabetes
National Project
Nirupa Murugaesu
ctDNA
National Project
Frances Elmslie
Sudden Cardiac Death
National Project
Emma Matthews
Neurology
Regional Project
Anju Kulkarni
Quest Genomics
Regional Project
Ania Koziell
Renal
Regional Project
Katie Snape
FHQS
Regional Project
Programme Management Office
Jessica Gutmann – Transformation Project Manager
Adam Reekie – Transformation Project Manager
Anna Kim – Project Manager
Makeda Glaze – Project Manager
GMSA transformation projects
The South East GMSA is delivering a programme of national and regional transformation projects which are transforming patient care through genomics. These projects raise awareness of genomics and support healthcare professionals to ‘think genomics‘, enabling timely and equitable access to genomic testing and genomically informed treatments across our geographic region.
National transformation projects
ctDNA: supporting early diagnosis of cancer for patients who cannot have a tumour biopsy or do not yet have a confirmed diagnosis
DPYD: standardising the equitable implementation of DPYD gene testing and optimising clinical effectiveness for patients with cancer
Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH): increasing identification of FH in the community
Lynch syndrome: delivering a comprehensive service for the detection of Lynch syndrome
Monogenic Diabetes: improving the identification and treatment of monogenic diabetes
Nursing & Midwifery: delivering a systematic approach to integrating genomics into nursing and midwifery practice
Pathology: supporting rapid cancer genomic diagnostics through pathway improvement
Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD): supporting the BHF pilot through the delivery of a dedicated Inherited Cardiovascular Conditions (ICC) liaison for the coronial service for all patients with SCD
Regional transformation projects
Family History Questionnaire Service (FHQS): a digital tool to inform referrals to improve patient care in FH and cancer
Neurology: addressing unmet genetic diagnostic needs in 16-25 year olds with complex epilepsy and neuromuscular disease
QGenome – the Genomics Navigator: developing an app-based clinical decision aid tool to guide mainstream specialities in the use of genomics