Dr Jyotsna Vohra, Director of Policy and Public Affairs said:

“The Royal Society for Public Health welcomes the Shared Commitments put forward by the government today which will enable the expansion, utilisation, and promotion of genomic initiatives. These Commitments solidify the UK as a hub of phenomenal genomic innovation and research and will enable our health system to harness genomic expertise to make earlier diagnoses and expand treatment options.

 “The focus on using genomic testing to make faster cancer diagnoses is particularly valuable for both patients and health workers given the lengthy diagnostic backlogs, made longer over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, while early detection of cancer can improve treatment options and health outcomes, 40% of cancer cases are still preventable.

“To bolster the underlying aims of the Shared Commitments, the government must therefore place creating healthier living environments on a level footing to genomic innovation. This can be achieved through supporting policies which redress the obesogenic landscape, stagnating tobacco cessation rates, and high cost of healthier foods – risk factors for cancer and other non-communicable diseases which disproportionately effect more deprived communities. It is through recognising that prevention, detection, and treatment are all crucial pieces in the puzzle of protecting and promoting good health that we can really level up and support everyone to live well for longer.”