Make DNA tests routine, says England's chief medical officer

Sally Davies calls for making genomic testing as common as blood tests to usher in the era of precision medicine to treat cancers and rare diseases

Genomic testing should become a normal part of NHS care, beginning with cancer patients and those with rare diseases, says the chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies.

In her annual report, Davies stresses her enthusiasm for the genomic revolution which could transform the treatment that NHS patients receive. Drugs can be matched to the disease and to the patient to maximise the benefit and reduce side-effects.