NHS project to map patients' DNA

A high-tech DNA database holding genetic details of patients with cancer and rare diseases will be rolled out in the next three to five years, the government announced on Monday.

The 100 million NHS project, the first of its kind within a mainstream health system, will see up to 100,000 patients getting their DNA code sequenced in a bid to improve treatment standards and develop new life-saving drugs.

"By unlocking the power of DNA data, the NHS will lead the global race for better tests, better drugs and above all better care," said Prime Minister David Cameron.

"We are turning an important scientific breakthrough into a potentially life-saving reality for NHS patients across the country," he added.

Funds earmarked for the project, drawn from existing NHS budgets, will be spent on training genetic scientists, DNA mapping and creating a system for handling the information.

Technical advances have led to a dramatic reduction in the cost of sequencing a person's DNA to 1,000 per individual from 500 million in 2000.

"This funding opens up the possibility of being able to look at the three billion DNA pieces in each of us so we can get a greater understanding of the complex relationship between our genes and lifestyle," said Dame Sally Davies, the government's chief medical officer.

Scientists will need approval from patients before mapping their DNA. The data will then be anonymised before being stored.

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NHS project to map patients' DNA