Service Turnaround Times
The South East Genomic Medicine Service is experiencing unprecedented demand for genomic testing.
Each month we issue around 9,000 genomic reports, a 14% increase since Sept 2022.
All of our laboratories aim to meet the national timeframes. We currently deliver over two thirds of our of routine genomic tests within the nationally agreed turnaround time standard. Whilst this is slightly above the national average, we are working hard to improve our turn around times.
In the meantime, if your patient is waiting for testing, but their situation changes or their treatment plan is affected, please get in touch with us to discuss on gst-tr.southeastglh@nhs.net
Top tip to improve your turn around times
Make sure all the information is included on your referral form. Lack of information will significantly increase the time it takes to complete the testing.
We measure our turnaround time from the moment your sample arrives at our laboratory until the time when we issue the results.
Solid Cancer Turn Around Times
| Clinical urgency | Test | Our average turnaround time | NHS national target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urgent, ultra rapid | DPYD | 2 days | 90% within 5 days |
| Urgent rapid | FISH for solid cancers | 9 days | 90% within 14 days |
| Urgent | Adult solid tumour panel (DNA/RNA) | 2-3 weeks | 90% within 21 days |
| Urgent | Neurological tumour panel | 35 days | 90% within 21 days |
| Urgent | Neurological tumour methylation array | 18 days | 90% within 21 days |
| Urgent | MLH1 promote methylation testing | 14 days | 90% within 21 days |
Haem-Onc Turn Around Times
| Category | Tests | Our average turnaround time | NHS national target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urgent ultra rapid | Urgent haemato-oncology FISH/RT-PCR (e.g. BCR::ABL1, PML::RARA) | 3 days | 90% within 3 days |
| Urgent rapid | Urgent karyotyping | 15 days | 90% within 14 days |
| Urgent rapid | Mutation specific tests (BCR::ABL1, BRAF V600E, Chimerism, FIP1L1::PDGFRA monitoring, FLT3-ITD/NPM1, KIT, MYD88 L265P, AML translocation and NPM1 | 15 days | 90% within 14 days |
| Standard haem/onc referral | Routine SNP-Array / Karyotype | 19 days | 90% within 21 days |
| Standard haem/onc referral | Myeloproliferative neoplasm panel | 12 days | 90% within 21 days |
| Standard haem/onc referral | Large myeloid panel | 21 days | 90% within 21 days |
| Standard haem/onc referral | Large lymphoid panel | 24 days | 90% within 21 days |
| Non-urgent complex standard | Whole Genome Sequencing | 173 days | 90% within 84 days |
Rare Disease Turn Around Times
| Clinical urgency | Example tests | Our average turnaround time | NHS national target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urgent, ultra rapid | QF-PCR for rapid aneuploidy detection | 2 days | 90% within 3 days |
| Urgent, ultra rapid | Prenatal Diagnosis for Monogenic Disorders | 3-5 days | 90% within 3 days |
| Urgent rapid | PCR based tests for predictive testing | 1-2 weeks | 90% within 14 days |
| Urgent rapid | Microarray / karyotypes for prenatal /urgent postnatal (e.g. neonatal referrals) | 14 days | 90% within 14 days |
| Urgent, standard | Microarray / karyotypes for prenatal diagnosis where cell culture is required | 2-3 weeks | 90% within 21 days |
| Non-urgent standard | Standard paediatric or fetal loss microarray | 5-6 weeks (fetal loss), 9-10 weeks (paediatric) | 90% within 42 days |
| Non-urgent standard | Rare disease single gene screening, known familial variant testing & standard STR based analysis | 2-3 weeks | 90% within 42 days |
| Non-urgent standard | Chromosome Breakage Analysis (E.g. Fanconi anaemia) | 2 weeks | 90% within 42 days |
| Non-urgent standard | Postnatal karyotyping (e.g. fertility or familial microarray follow-up) | 5-6 weeks | 90% within 42 days |
| Non-urgent standard | Haemoglobinopathy gene testing | 27 days | 90% within 42 days |
| Non-urgent standard | Inherited Breast/ovarian cancer gene panel | 5 -6 weeks | 90% within 42 days |
| Non-urgent standard | Familial hypercholesterolemia gene panel | 10-12 weeks | 90% within 42 days |
| Non-urgent complex standard | Dermatology gene panel | 9-10 weeks | 90% within 84 days |
| Non-urgent complex standard | Gastrohepatology gene panel | 80 days | 90% within 84 days |
| Non-urgent complex standard | Neurology gene panel | 9-10 weeks | 90% within 84 days |
| Non-urgent complex standard | Cardiology gene panel | 97 days | 90% within 84 days |
| Non-urgent complex standard | Haematology gene panel | 90 days | 90% within 84 days |
| Non-urgent complex standard | Respiratory gene panel | 82 days | 90% within 84 days |
| Non-urgent complex standard | Whole Genome Sequencing | 3-4 months | 90% within 84 days |