Could you be AoRMC’s Genomics Clinical Education Lead?

02 Dec 2019

In October 2018 NHS England started work to create the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS), including a National Genomic Test Directory and the establishment of a national network of seven Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs) across England. Each GLH network closely with the Genomic Medicine Centres in their geographical area.

The NHS Long Term Plan set out a clear commitment for the NHS to invest in genomics to transform patient care and provide access to cutting-edge genomic technology, including whole genome sequencing, for patient benefit. Rapid advances in technology and understanding mean that genomics is now more relevant than ever before. As genomics increasingly becomes a part of mainstream NHS care, all healthcare professionals, and not just genomics specialists, need to have a good understanding of its relevance and potential to impact the diagnosis, treatment and management of people in our care.

In 2014, Health Education England (HEE) launched the Genomics Education Programme (GEP) to ensure that the 1.2 million-strong NHS workforce has the knowledge, skills and experience to keep the UK at the heart of the genomics revolution in healthcare. Current knowledge about genomics varies across the medical profession. While not everyone needs to be a genomics expert, all doctors, from medical students to those near to retirement will need sufficient, up-to-date knowledge of genomics in their field, the skills and confidence to discern when testing may be relevant for their patients and how to request it, and to understand and act appropriately on receipt of the results.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has been working with NHS England over the last two years to consider the clinical requirements for the embedding of genomics into clinical practice in the NHS. This has included information sharing, proposals for clinical pathways that will be required, and identifying the educational needs of clinicians from medical school to retirement who will be involved in the new ways of working. We have unique access to clinicians of all specialties who will be involved in bringing genomic medicine into the NHS, and links across the whole spectrum of medical education from undergraduate to retirement. We also have links with all the non-medical professions and work collaboratively to ensure that there is alignment of approaches where appropriate.

This new role, funded by Health Education England (HEE), will provide a Genomics Clinical Education Lead who is able to work with the medical royal colleges and the HEE GEP team in order to provide clinical input into the design and delivery of the education requirements. This will require close liaison with college curricular development and delivery work. The work will build on the that already done by the Academy’s Genomic Clinical Leads to develop high level learning outcomes for clinicians. This has included input from undergraduate, foundation and postgraduate medical Genomics Clinical Education Lead education experts, and also nursing, midwifery and physiotherapy colleagues. The aim would be to create something that works for the multi-professional team.

The fellow will report to Professor Carrie MacEwen, Academy Chair, and Dr Anneke Seller, Scientific Director of the HEE GEP, who will jointly set objectives and review performance. The appointee will be consultant or a senior clinical trainee who has good knowledge of genomics and genetics, and its application in healthcare. In addition, they will need to demonstrate an interest in education. This may be, but is not limited to, a clinical geneticist, and includes clinicians from other specialities, and will be someone of seniority able to work with minimum requirements for supervision. Close working with the NHSE genomics medical programme is essential.

Full details of the post can be found here:

Genomics Clinical Education Lead – Advert

Application Form

• Closing date for receipt of applications: Thursday Wednesday 18 December 2019 at 5pm
• Candidates selected for interview will be informed in the first week of January
• Interviews will be held at the Academy on Thursday 23 January 2020 (pm)
• Competed forms should be returned to rose.jarvis@aomrc.org.uk

Category: Engagement