Spire Healthcare launches standalone genetic test for disease prediction

• Saliva test combines genetic and clinical risk factors to predict risk of four common diseases
• Once-in-a-life-time test helps people act on risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer and prostate cancer
• Partnership with Genomics delivers advanced technology to enable more personalised care

Spire Healthcare has launched a new genetic test to predict an individual's genetic risk of developing four common diseases - including two cancers - before symptoms appear.

Spire is among the first major UK providers to offer Health Insights as a standalone self-pay test, with no health insurance policy required. It will help people understand their lifetime personalised risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer and prostate cancer with a simple saliva sample.

The test will initially be available from Spire Healthcare’s London Doctors Clinics. It combines polygenic risk scores - which analyse millions of small genetic variations across DNA - with traditional clinical factors like age, sex at birth and ethnicity. This creates an accurate, personalised risk profile, helping people understand more about their genetic make-up so they can proactively make informed long-term health and lifestyle adjustments. Doctors can also use the data to make better informed decisions including the potential need to enrol their patient into appropriate prevention and screening programmes, at the right time.

During a GP consultation, eligibility for the Health Insights test will be determined and blood samples will be taken. Patients will receive a saliva sample test kit by post, which is then returned to the laboratory. After 4 to 6 weeks the patient will be invited to review their full genetic and risk profile with their LDC GP, when they will be fully supported with tailored health and wellness advice. The personalised and secure laboratory report delivers actionable medical and lifestyle insights, along with interactive tools to help patients engage with and understand their results.

Justin Ash, CEO of Spire Healthcare said: “Empowering people with the knowledge to understand their genetic make-up and identify their personalised risk of developing certain diseases will help them to proactively manage their health. We are excited to launch this standalone genetic test, which doesn’t require a health insurance policy, through our partnership with Genomics, enabling us to further personalise the care we deliver to patients.”

The Health Insights test is available to self-paying patients across all Spire Healthcare London Doctors Clinic (LDC) locations, including in Liverpool Street, Oxford Street and Kings Cross, launching as a standalone test, and subsequently as an addition to LDC’s popular health screens.

The launch is a partnership agreement between Spire and Genomics, who produce the test. Health Insights is the first UK Conformity Assessed marked and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency registered product that combines genetic and clinical factors to predict and prevent common diseases.

Professor Sir Peter Donnelly, CEO and Co-Founder of Genomics said: “With the launch of Health Insights for Spire, we can now provide more personalised, better-informed advice, to help guide individuals to take preventative action, undertake screening and begin treatment pathways earlier. This product ushers in a new era of truly personalised healthcare, a future where everyone can understand their genetic risk for common chronic diseases and access the information they need to reduce those risks.

"This launch is particularly timely following the recent National Cancer Plan publication, which explicitly identifies prevention and the expanded use of genomics as the primary drivers to transform survival rates. By integrating these specific pillars into the Spire platform, we are providing the practical tools needed to deliver on that national ambition, from sickness to prevention and helping people live longer, healthier lives.”