Over three separate dates in April 2026, in collaboration with the West Midlands and East Cancer Alliances, we ran a successful Genomics for Cancer Nurse Specialists course for nurses in the West Midlands and East regions. With around 50 attendees in total, the course was accredited by the RCN and gave attendees 21 CPD hours of learning.
The course saw a range of speakers present: Vicki Geddes, Training and Education Lead at Central and South Genomics, Dr Andrew Bell, Lecturer in the Department of Cancer and Genomic Sciences at the University of Birmingham, Dr Eudmar Marcolino, Scientific Training Manager at the West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory, Dr Hayley Wickens, Consultant Pharmacist in Genomic Medicine at Central and Dr Laura Boyes, Anna Considine and Phil Leonard, Consultant Genetic Counsellors at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. Topics included an introduction to genomics, family history, inheritance patterns, ordering tests, BRCA 1 and 2, Lynch Syndrome and much more.
Feedback was extremely positive, with 100% of attendees stating they would recommend the course to a colleague and significant uplift seen across a number of knowledge areas. The overall feedback demonstrates a substantial positive impact on knowledge and confidence in genomics, with a clear shift from up to 60% low confidence pre-course to up to 90% high confidence post-course.
Thanks go to our speakers and attendees, and to our colleagues in the West Midlands and East Cancer Alliances.
