THOUSANDS of people from across the region who are at risk of genetic illness will be treated in a new £550,000 centre.
The Yorkshire Regional Genetics Service which serves 4.2 million people across the region, excluding South Yorkshire, has relocated its clinical services to Chapel Allerton Hospital in Leeds.
Its staff provide specialist diagnostic and counselling
services for patients affected by or at risk of a range of genetic conditions. These include Huntingdon's disease, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, familial cancer and a number of other congenital conditions.
The new facility brings together the unit's 42 clinical staff for the first time in five years.
Around 6,000 patients across the region are seen by the service each year. Clinics are held on a weekly basis across Leeds as well as at 20 other NHS sites, from Keighley in the west to Grimsby in the east.
Staff see patients with a range of unusual or rare syndromes.
The team includes nine consultants with differing specialisms, reflecting the increasingly complex nature of genetic disorders. There is also a GP and a team of counsellors.
Head of service Dr Carol Chu said: "Our new location has helped boost staff morale."
