Making a referral to the East Anglian Medical Genetics Service is different to ordering genetic testing. An assessment by Medical Genetics will require a formal referral to our service. For guidance on who is eligible for a Medical Genetics referral and how to refer, please see below.
The National Genomic Test Directory (opens in a new tab) provides the eligibility criteria for genetic testing within NHS England. Sampling and consent forms can be downloaded here.
Sending a sample for genetic testing will not result in an automatic referral to the Medical Genetics service. This will need to be made independently if required.
Referrals to the Medical Genetics service can be emailed as an attachment to add-tr.referralsclinicalgenetics@nhs.net, or sent by post to:
Clinical Genetics, Box 134, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ
Referrals into the clinical cancer genetics service are indicated for:
- Patients likely to be at increased risk of developing cancer due to their personal and/or family history in close relatives (parents, siblings, children). Where possible, it is best to refer a relative who has been affected with cancer in the first instance, rather than their unaffected relatives.
- Patients who have a likely pathogenic or pathogenic variant (mutation) in a cancer predisposition gene or a diagnosis of a cancer predisposition syndrome.
- Patients with a relative who has a likely pathogenic or pathogenic variant in a cancer predisposition gene or have a diagnosis of a cancer predisposition syndrome.
Non-urgent advice: Important change to requesting diagnostic cancer genetic testing (inherited cancers)
From Monday 16 June 2025 the East Anglian Clinical Genetic Service will no longer accept referrals to initiate diagnostic inherited cancer gene panels where eligibility criteria are fulfilled.
General guidance
Not all referred individuals will be eligible for extra surveillance or genetic testing.
Some will receive an advice letter from our cancer genetics service whether or not they are invited to a clinic appointment. These guidelines are not exhaustive and health professionals can seek advice from our cancer genetics service about whether a referral is appropriate.
Please telephone 01223 216446 (9am - 5pm Mon-Fri) and ask for the on-call team, or email queries to add-tr.clinicalgenetics@nhs.net.
If your query is urgent, you can ask the Addenbrooke’s Hospital switchboard to connect you to the on-call genetics team mobile numbers during these hours.