Second NHS Trust adopts genedrive’s hearing loss testing kit for routine use
Manchester molecular testing business, genedrive, said its MT-RNR1 ID Kit is now in routine use in the Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU) at the Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH), part of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.
This site is the second NHS Trust in the country to be using the genedrive test for antibiotic induced hearing loss (AIHL), following its roll-out into Greater Manchester hospitals from March this year.
Each year approximately 450 babies are admitted to the neonatal unit in Brighton. The simple, non-invasive test will be used routinely to guide treatment prescription within the unit from today (December 4, 2023).
Inspiration Healthcare and genedrive have been working closely with the team at the TMBU, providing training and support, to ensure the smooth implementation of the pharmacogenetic point of care test into the neonatal admission process.
Every mother and child that comes to RSCH, will now have access to the life-changing test, should it be required.
James Cheek, genedrive CEO, said: “Both children and parents in Sussex will have their lives and patient pathways enhanced by having access to this test.
“It also brings peace of mind and support to clinicians in very stressful circumstances to make the right decision for the patient.
“On a wider scale, it’s great to see how rapid Pharmacogenetics testing is transforming healthcare in time-critical settings, and improving patient safety.”
Commercial distribution agreements for the AIHL test are in place covering Spain, France, Austria, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey and the Netherlands.
The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) cleared the kit for use and David Budd, genedrive CEO, said at the time: “NICE, whose guidance is formally applicable to the NHS in England and Wales, is an internationally respected health authority and the tools and data supplied in its review will be relevant to the rest of the United Kingdom and to the other international markets which we are now accessing.”
