Our Services
Family History and Inherited Risk
If a health condition runs in your family, it is natural to wonder whether you or your children could be affected. A family history assessment helps you understand your personal risk, what it means in practice, and the proactive steps you can take to manage it.
Is a Consultation Right for You?
You may benefit if:
- A close relative has been diagnosed with a known genetic or inherited condition.
- Several family members have had the same or closely related health conditions.
- A specific medical condition appeared at an unusually young age in a family member.
- You are planning a family and want to understand any inherited risks beforehand.
- You have concerns about your family history but are unsure if a genetics referral is appropriate.
What to Expect
Our consultants will draw up a detailed, three-generation family tree (pedigree) to identify patterns of inheritance. We will explain what these findings mean for you, your children, and your relatives. You will receive a clear risk assessment alongside a personalised plan covering your options, which may include genetic testing, clinical screening, or reassurance.
Cancer Genetics
While most cancers aren’t directly inherited, some are driven by genetic changes passed through families. Identifying these patterns—such as multiple relatives with cancer or diagnoses at unusually young ages—allows for better-informed decisions regarding screening and risk management.
Is a Consultation Right for You?
You may benefit if:
- Multiple relatives on one side of the family have had cancer.
- If a close relative is found to have a cancer-causing genetic variant (e.g., BRCA1, BRCA2, or Lynch syndrome).
- You’ve had cancer and want to investigate an inherited cause.
- You need help interpreting a direct-to-consumer genetic test.
What to Expect
Our consultants provide a detailed family history review and personal risk assessment. If genetic testing is appropriate, we explain the implications for you and your family. You will receive a personalised plan covering surveillance, risk-reduction strategies, and guidance for relatives. Early identification doesn’t mean a diagnosis is inevitable—it empowers proactive care.
Cardiovascular Genetics
Some heart conditions run in families, affecting the heart muscle, structure, or its electrical system. A cardiovascular genetics consultation helps clarify the root cause of a condition, assess risks to other family members, and establish protective care plans before symptoms develop.
Is a Consultation Right for You?
You may benefit if:
- You or a close relative has been diagnosed with a cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia, or channelopathy.
- There has been a sudden, unexplained cardiac event or death in your family, especially under the age of 40.
- A relative has been found to carry a genetic variant associated with an inherited heart condition.
- You need guidance on cascade testing (systematically testing at-risk relatives).
What to Expect
We conduct a comprehensive review of clinical and family history to assess whether a cardiac condition has an inherited pattern. If genetic testing is appropriate, we discuss your options, coordinate results directly with your cardiologist, and provide clear management advice for both you and your relatives.
Prenatal and Reproductive Genetics
Thinking about starting a family or navigating a pregnancy can raise sensitive questions about genetic risks. Our consultants offer specialist advice to individuals and couples at any stage of their reproductive journey.
Is a Consultation Right for You?
You may benefit if:
- One or both partners have a known genetic condition or a significant family history.
- You are a known carrier of a genetic condition and want to understand the implications for future children.
- You have previously had a child with a genetic condition or have experienced pregnancy loss.
- You have received unexpected results from antenatal screening or are considering pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) during IVF.
- You would like to understand any genetic risks before having children.
What to Expect
We provide balanced, non-directive information to help you make your own informed choices. Depending on your situation, this may include arranging carrier testing, assessing pre-pregnancy risks, or explaining options such as PGT and prenatal diagnostics. We work seamlessly alongside your obstetric or fertility team to support your chosen path.
Rare and Undiagnosed Conditions
Living without a diagnosis can be an exhausting and isolating experience. Using advanced genomic technologies such as whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing, our specialists can often piece together complex medical pictures to find answers where standard tests have failed.
Is a Consultation Right for You?
You or your child may benefit if:
- Symptoms remain unexplained despite multiple medical investigations.
- Features affect multiple body systems, and you are looking for a unifying diagnosis.
- Prior genetic testing returned an inconclusive result, such as a variant of uncertain significance (VUS).
- You have a suspected rare condition and require expert review or access to highly specialised services.
What to Expect
Our consultants carry out a comprehensive clinical assessment of your complete medical history. We will advise on whether advanced genomic sequencing is appropriate, interpret complex findings, and liaise with other specialists to coordinate your ongoing care. Even if an immediate diagnosis is not possible, we provide continuous guidance and clinical support.
Genetic Testing and Results
While genetic tests are more accessible than ever, interpreting what a result actually means for your health requires expert clinical context. A specialist review ensures you do not face alarming or confusing data in isolation.
Is a Consultation Right for You?
You may benefit if:
- You want expert guidance on which clinical-grade test (single-gene, panel, or whole-genome) is right for you.
- You have received a genetic test result (NHS, private, or direct-to-consumer like 23andMe) and need it explained.
- Your test results showed a variant of uncertain significance (VUS), and you need a definitive review.
- You require a predictive genetic test for a known condition that runs in your family.
What to Expect
We review your personal history to select and arrange the most precise test through accredited laboratories. Once ready, your consultant explains the findings in plain, accessible language. You will receive a clear breakdown of the implications for your family alongside definitive recommendations for next steps, surveillance, or reassurance.
Medical Expert Witness Services
Consultants at Genetics London Ltd provide independent clinical genetics expert witness services for legal proceedings across the UK. We deliver clear, objective, and evidence-based medical reports to assist courts, solicitors, and medico-legal agencies whenever complex genetic factors are relevant to a case.
Thinking about instructing us?
You may benefit from instructing us if you require expert opinion regarding:
- Clinical Negligence: Assessing breach of duty, delayed diagnosis, failure to investigate, or whether a genetic disorder contributed significantly to a specific medical outcome.
- Family Court Proceedings: Clarifying suspected genetic conditions in children, inherited disorders within families, or interpreting complex genetic test results for care proceedings.
- General Legal Disputations: Determining genetic contributions to complex medical presentations, rare syndromes, causation, or inherited disease risk.
What to Expect
Our consultants prepare independent medico-legal reports in strict accordance with the court’s procedural rules and overriding duties. We provide case reviews, joint expert meetings, court attendance, and specialist guidance on drafting legal instructions for geneticists. To inquire, contact us with brief case details to receive a consultant’s medico-legal CV, fee schedule, and expected timescales.
