Improving access to cancer genetics services in primary care: socio-economic data from North Kirklees.

A primary care cancer genetics project, funded by Macmillan Cancer Support and the Department of Health, has been running in North Kirklees since 2004. North Kirklees has a high ethnic minority population (mainly South Asian) and 50% of its wards lie in the most deprived quintiles in England. Previous audits in the department of genetics have shown lower than expected referral rates for patients from lower socio-economic classes and no referrals from ethnic minority patients. The aims of the project included improving access to cancer genetics services for disadvantaged patients from lower socio-economic groups and the ethnic minority population. A practice nurse and a General Practitioner with a Special Interest in genetics, both with appropriate language skills, and a 0.5 FTE genetic counsellor have set up local clinics in several primary care sites in North Kirklees where they provide full genetic counselling services in the community. Demographic details, ethnic origin and education information are collected from each patient seen. Comparing information prior to and during the project demonstrates an increase in numbers of referrals for patients from lower socio-economic classes, those with educational achievements at GCSE level or below, and those from South Asian backgrounds. Local clinics and increasing awareness of cancer genetics services for professionals and the public can improve access to such services.