Referrals to the East Anglian Clinical Genomics Service

Referral should be in writing on headed paper from the referring service. We will need a separate referral for each family member requiring our input. Please send referrals to:

Urgent Referrals

Please indicate clearly on the referral letter and the email subject header if your referral is URGENT.

This would usually include:

• prenatal referrals
• referrals for critically ill children
• referrals for a child where their mother is currently pregnant. Rapid genetic testing (R14/R21) can be considered in these situations.

During office hours (Monday – Friday, 09:00 – 17:00) the department runs an on-call service. During these hours there is a consultant and either a specialist registrar or a genetic counsellor on call. Health professionals with an urgent query can call Switchboard on 01223 245151 and ask to be put through to the Clinical Genetics on-call Consultant or Genetic Counsellor/Specialist Registrar.

Important Information for All Referrals

Please note that NHS outpatient clinical genetics services are organised on a regional basis, dependent upon the postcode of the patient's GP practice. Regional genetics services usually have outreach clinics at several hospitals/clinics in their area. Please check the GP postcode for your patient, to ensure they fall within our catchment area, before making your referral. Referrals that are out of area will usually be rejected, causing unnecessary delays for patients waiting to be seen.

If you are referring an individual where there is a known genetic diagnosis in the family we do require a copy of the molecular genetic report confirming the diagnosis in the family where possible (not transcribed information).

If a molecular genetic report is not available, please instead enclose any available information about the affected individual such as: name, date of birth, NHS number, hospitals where investigated or treated. Referrals that do not include this information may be rejected.

Please ensure that a contact telephone number for the patient is provided with the referral. Please also state if an interpreter is needed, and indicate the required language.

Please check our information page about Conditions that are seen and not seen by the Clinical Genetics department, before sending your referral.

Referrals relating to conditions where care is best managed by other specialist teams or hospitals will be rejected, causing unnecessary delays in patient care.

Genetic Test Queries or Results

For queries about ordering genetic tests or results please contact the Cambridge University Hospitals Genomic Laboratory Hub (GLH):

• T: 01223 348 866
• cuh.geneticslaboratories@nhs.net