NHS England funds Exeter’s Genomic Medicine education for further five years
Picture By Jim Wileman -
The University of Exeter has secured NHS England funding for a further five years to deliver its highly regarded MSc in Genomic Medicine, upskilling the NHS workforce on a fully-funded programme.
Since 2016, Exeter has been a trusted provider of the NHS England-funded programme, awarding degrees to more than 300 students from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds. The new funding means Exeter can continue to offer full funding for people working in the NHS in England to study for a Postgraduate Certificate, a Postgraduate Diploma or a Masters in Genomic Medicine. Study can take place on campus or online, and is fully funded by NHS England.
Graduates who have so far taken up this funding include doctors across different specialties, nurses, allied health professionals and laboratory scientists. Of these students, 184 have been funded directly by NHS England, with a further 21 completing individual NHS-funded modules. Around one third of MSc graduates have achieved a distinction.
Programme lead Professor Jessica Tyrrell, of the University of Exeter, said: “We’re delighted to get this funding renewed, which enables us to continue to upskill NHS staff to be at the cutting edge of the genomics revolution. These funded courses mean patients are more likely to benefit from care and treatment that is specifically tailored to them. It’s a fantastic opportunity for our students, who can benefit from a flexible blend of in-person learning and online learning, in which we have recently invested £1million to improve student experience.”
Improving genomics capability across the NHS has the potential to deliver significant benefits for patients, including faster and more accurate diagnoses for rare diseases, inherited conditions and cancer, more personalised treatment and prevention strategies, and improved equity of access to genomic medicine. Earlier intervention can also help reduce avoidable morbidity and long-term healthcare costs.
Professor Sallie Lamb, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean for the University of Exeter’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, said: “This renewed funding is testament to our outstanding strength in genomics. From leading the way in genetic forms of diabetes to working with the NHS to run a nationwide laboratory to test critically-ill children, our research and education combine to deliver better outcomes for patients, in our region and worldwide.”
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