‘Gene test for sale on NHS,’ blared the headlines last weekend, sparking some anxiety and confusion. The story is that Genomics England, a company owned by the Department of Health, has announced that it’s seeking people who are willing to pay to have their DNA sequenced. The fee has not yet been specified but it will probably be around £500, depending on how much the analysis is subsidised. Each volunteer will receive a personalised health report and will agree to share their anonymised genetic data with researchers in the hope of improving genetic prediction of diseases and creating the sort of healthcare that’s fit for the future.
The story has caused quite a fuss. What if Genomics England gives people inaccurate information? How do we ensure the data stays private? Won’t asking people to pay create a ‘two-tier’ health system? But critics should remember that 15 million people worldwide have voted with their credit cards to pay direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies like 23andMe to find out about their ancestry and their genetic medical risks.
