Clinical genetics is a specialist regional service based at Birmingham Women’s Hospital. For each discipline and area there is at least one designated consultant clinical geneticist and genetic counsellor with outreach clinics held across the West Midlands region. The service includes the Clinical Genetics Service and the West Midlands Family Cancer Service (WMFACS). Specific information relating to the service can be found here.
General and multidisciplinary specialist Genetics clinics are held at a variety of locations throughout Coventry and Warwickshire. Patients referred to the Clinical Genetics Service are allocated a Consultant Geneticist and/or Genetic Counsellor based on their address. In some cases patients may be invited to Birmingham to attend supra-regional clinics for example in the management of ophthalmic genetics, neurogenetics, skeletal dysplasia or long QT syndromes.
Coventry: Consultant: Dr Lily Islam. Regular clinics are undertaken, some are at UHC&W and once a month a clinic is held jointly with a pediatrician at the City of Coventry Health Centre.
Genetic Counsellor Julie Hewitt: Regular clinic at the City of Coventry Health Centre.
Julie.hewitt@bwnft.nhs.uk Tel: 0121 627 2630 or mobile: 07958 702724
Warwickshire: Consultant: Dr Nicola Ragge Clinics are held at Warwick Hospital and St Cross Rugby.
Consultant: Dr Swati Naik. Clinics are held at George Eliot Nuneaton Genetic Counsellors: Claire Dolling and Liz Kay (job share) undertake clinics at a variety of locations throughout Warwickshire
Claire.dolling@bwnft.nhs.uk Tel: 0121 627 2630 or mobile: 07791 329091
Liz.kay@bwnft.nhs.uk Tel: 0121 627 2630 or mobile: 07815 315147
Specialist Neurogenetics Clinic Consultants: Dr Mary O’Driscoll/Dr Nicola Cooper. Regular clinics are undertaken at UHC&W.
Cancer Genetics Coventry and Warwickshire Consultant: Dr Kai ren Ong
Genetic Counsellors: Anna Considine: Clinics held at UHC&W, Julie Hewitt City of Coventry Health Centre and Fiona Beecroft clinics held at George Eliot, Rugby St Cross and Warwick Hospital.
In response to a referral the patient is sent a family history form. Alternatively patients can be given a family history form to complete or complete an electronic form on line via our website. When this is completed and returned the diagnoses are confirmed through the cancer intelligence unit (with appropriate consents). An assessment of risk is then made and the patient offered an appointment with a Genetic Counsellor or Consultant, or reassured by letter if at low risk.
In families where the affected relative is terminally ill a Genetic Counsellor may contact the family straight away as it may be important to offer to store a DNA sample
Contacts For urgent enquiries a duty geneticist is available on 0121 627 2630 to discuss urgent problems or referrals. For pregnancy referrals the genetic counsellor can be contacted directly or if unavailable please contact the department directly on 0121 627 2630.
Referrals Please address these to the relevant consultant at Birmingham Women's Hospital:
Consultant Clinical Geneticist Birmingham Women's Hospital Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TG Telephone: 0121 627 2630 Fax: 0121 627 2618
Information for laboratory services can be found at http://www.bwnft.nhs.uk/wmrgs/regionalgenetics/ Telephone 0121 627 2710
There are over 30 blood test service locations in and around Coventry. Most clinics have appointments to book in advance online. Click on the map for details of the clinic most convenient for you.
Click on the map for information about phlebotomy clinics in Coventry. You can book an appointment online at the locations in red.
You can also download a leaflet at this link.
We strongly advise all patients use our new online appointment system before attending for a blood test to avoid any disappointment. The new service helps patients, their carers and family members to plan their hospital visit better, helping to reduce clinic waiting times and enabling patients to be seen much more quickly.
Walk-in appointments remain available dependent on availability, however you may have to wait for the next available appointment time. Please note that walk-in patients will be given an approximate time slot and this may vary.
Location: Outpatients Department, on the ground floor. Opening hours: 8am-4.45pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Based on demand we are only able to see a set amount of patients per day so, once we have filled all allocated slots we can no longer accept walk-ins. This may mean you will need to revisit the site to have your blood test on another occasion or book online for another site.
Patients from Rugby and the surrounding areas are able to access the Friends Blood Taking Unit at the Hospital of St Cross.
Referrals for blood tests can be from GP's, practice nurses or from hospital consultants. Patients are also able to leave other samples, such as urine, which have been collected at home, at the hospital's Pathology Reception.
Location: Near Brookfield House, just off North Road - map here. Opening hours: The blood taking clinic sessions for adults and children are listed below:
Monday -Friday 7am-8am Appointment only
Monday – Friday 8am-4.45pm *Appointments and walk-in available
Wednesday Evening 5pm-7pm Appointment only
Saturday Morning 7am-10pm Appointments only
* While we offer a walk in service, we highly recommend booking an appointment to save patients from waiting. If all walk in slots are filled, we may need to ask patients to attend again on another day, or to book online for another site.
Children under 16 years old will need to book online here.
Address: Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry CV1 4FS Location: Access is via the main doors, the Phlebotomy team are in Area A. Opening hours: Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 8am–4.45pm - Based on demand we are only able to see a set amount of patients per day so, once we have filled all allocated slots we can no longer accept walk-ins. This may mean you will need to revisit the site to have your blood test on another occasion or book online for another site.
Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
Specialist Tests - There are a small number of specialist tests where blood needs to be taken on a hospital site as the sample must be transferred to the laboratory rapidly for the test to be undertaken. Click here for a list of these specialist tests and to find out more.