NHS TRIALS RAPID GENETIC TEST FOR BRAIN TUMOUR PATIENTS

NHS England has announced a pilot scheme offering rapid genetic testing to brain tumour patients, which officials say will cut standard diagnosis times from weeks to days. The test works by rapidly analysing the genetic code from a patient's tumour sample, and NHS England said it will be trialled across specialist centres in England. In cases where surgical teams need to identify the precise tumour type during an operation, the test can confirm a diagnosis within two hours while surgery is under way. NHS England said the aim is to let patients start tailored treatment sooner and access clinical trials they might otherwise miss. Officials described brain tumours as "notoriously difficult" to identify, noting there are more than 100 distinct forms ranging from slow-growing lesions to malignant cancers.

The rapid genomic test was developed by teams at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Nottingham, where it is already in use. Professor Frankie Swords, NHS England's medical director, said the test "has the potential to completely transform how we diagnose brain tumours", with results reaching patients in days rather than weeks. She said faster diagnosis means patients can start the right treatment or access clinical trials sooner, and in some cases could allow surgeons to make decisions about surgery while still in the operating theatre. Stuart Smith, a consultant neurosurgeon at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said the test "will save valuable waiting time" for patients under time pressure.

Smith, who is also a clinical associate professor at the University of Nottingham, said having detailed tumour information available during operating theatre decisions is "game-changing", as it can help surgeons judge how far they can safely operate while protecting healthy brain tissue. NHS England confirmed the test will now be trialled more widely across specialist centres in England as part of the pilot scheme. Officials said the programme is intended to give patients faster access to tailored care and to clinical trials they could otherwise miss.