Genetics (NW Thames Regional Genetics Service at the Kennedy Galton Centre)
The North West Thames Regional Genetics Service (Kennedy-Galton Centre) is based at Northwick Park and St Mark's Hospitals in Harrow. The centre provides a service to residents of North West London, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
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There is close co-operation between the laboratory and clinical services and the centre prides itself on providing an integrated clinical genetics service.
The centre works to the highest of standards to ensure that the best possible service is offered to patients and their families.
Both the cytogenetic and molecular genetic laboratories are CPA accredited (Reference numbers 1773 & 2148 respectively).
Description of service
Clinical genetics service
The clinical geneticists and genetic counsellors provide an outpatient-based diagnostic and counselling service at Northwick Park Hospital and numerous outreach clinics.
Individuals with a genetic disorder, or relatives at risk of a genetic disorder, are seen and advised of the causes and consequences of the disorder, the risk of developing or transmitting it and the options available to them such as tests, treatment or prevention.
Clinics are also held for those where there is a familial history of cancer.
Clinical cytogenetics
Clinical cytogenetics is concerned with the analysis of the chromosome complement of an individual to determine whether there is a change from the expected number of 46 chromosomes (e.g. as in Downs Syndrome) or whether there is a microscopically detectable change in chromosome structure that could be of pathological significance.
The laboratory provides an interpretative reporting service to users.
Clinical molecular genetics
A wide variety of molecular biology techniques are applied to investigate individual genes that are associated with a range of specific genetic disorders.
In most cases the approach is to test for the presence of a specific defect (“mutation”) within the gene in question. In some cases (i.e. when the specific mutation can not be detected), analysis can be performed by tracking patterns of DNA markers within a family.
Locations
Northwick Park and St Mark's Hospitals
Level 8V Northwick Park and St Mark's Hospitals
Contacts
- Main Office
020 8869 2795 - Molecular Genetics
020 8869 3180 - Cyto Genetics - Amnio Laboratory
020 8869 3109 - Cyto Genetics - Blood Laboratory
020 8869 3104
Consultants and other key staff
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