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Babies born at either Peterborough City or Hinchingbrooke Hospitals now have the opportunity to be tested for more than 200 rare genetic conditions.

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospitals, is one of over 50 Trusts across the country who are taking part in a study, which is being led by Genomics England in partnership with NHS England.

Parents will be offered genome sequencing for their baby and blood samples will be taken, usually from the umbilical cord, shortly after birth. The test can identify genetic changes related to more than 200 conditions where symptoms might not present until later in childhood. This can lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of these conditions that impact the lives of young children and their families.

Georgina Selcraig, local to Peterborough, who gave birth to her third child, Robyn, in December 2025 was the first recruit at Peterborough City Hospital. Georgina and her husband have a strong interest in genetics and how it can influence health and medical conditions and know first-hand how vital receiving an early diagnosis can be.

Georgina said: “Our second child was born with albinism, a genetic condition caused by gene variant that both my husband and I carry and were unaware of before his birth. When we were given the opportunity to screen Robyn for more than 200 conditions using cord blood collected at birth, it provided us valuable insight into potential inherited risks and was therefore a clear and logical decision for our family.”

Expectant parents who attend either Peterborough City or Hinchingbrooke Hospital can ask about the study during their pregnancy. If interested, a research midwife will have a detailed conversation with them to decide if they want to take part.

Georgina added: “It was completely painless for Robyn and did not impact our post birth experience at all. As a parent, I'd say it's worth considering. None of us expect our child to have a health condition. For us, having access to this information early felt reassuring and gave us a better understanding of our child's health from the very start. It helped us feel more prepared and supported, and knowing we were also contributing to research that could help other families made it feel even more meaningful. The whole process was very straightforward.” 

Helen Wilson is one of the Trust's Paediatric Research Nurses and is also the Principal Investigator for the study, which is a key part of England's 10 Year Health Plan.

Helen said: “The Generation Study feels like a great way of improving outcomes for many newborns, by screening them for rare genetic conditions which are all treatable. We are excited to be able to offer this opportunity to many more families over the next 12 months."

One of the Trust's research midwives said: "The opportunity to be part of this study and enable families access to genome testing will support further future research which is important to continue to develop evidence based care pathways.”

More information about the study can be found here Generation Study - Generation Study .