Specialist Genetic Services

The Genetics Department at City Hospital is the Regional Genetics Centre for the majority of the Trent region (a population of around 2.2 million). We cover Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and North Leicestershire. We are based in Nottingham but our team also runs clinics in Mansfield, Grantham, Boston, Lincoln, Spalding, Skegness and Derby.

Hereditary diseases are often rare and affected families require specialist advice and services. We offer a full diagnostic, genetic counselling, and genetic testing service to individuals and families affected with all genetic disorders affecting all ages. We help people to find out if they are at particular risk of genetic disorders and provide people with information about genetic disorders so that they can make informed choices about their future.

We can offer both urgent and routine consultations as well as a long term follow up service for certain genetic conditions. Our team of doctors, genetic counsellors and scientists work closely together to provide patients with the information and support they need, especially at particularly stressful times in life. We also work closely with a wide variety of medical specialities to provide joint clinics and specialist services for particular genetic disorders. We offer a wide variety of genetic testing: diagnostic, predictive, carrier testing and prenatal testing with the appropriate genetic counselling.

Community paediatrics

The Genetics and Community Paediatrics Clinic is held six times a year at the Children’s Development Centre (CDC), Nottingham City Hospital. Patients are seen by the community paediatrics team and Consultant Clinical Geneticist Dr Ajoy Sarkar. 

Adult learning disability

The Adult Learning Disability Clinic is held three times a year at Highbury Hospital. This is a multidisciplinary clinic with patients seen by Consultant Clinical Geneticist with an interest in adult learning disability Dr Ajoy Sarkar, and Consultant Psychiatrists Dr Peter Cutajar and Dr Bal Powar. 

Paediatric cardiology

The Inherited Cardiac Conditions (ICC clinic) offers detailed investigation, diagnosis and management for families who have or are at risk of inherited cardiac conditions.  This is a multidisciplinary clinic with patients being seen by teams from Genetics (Dr Nora Shannon, Consultant Clinical Geneticist,  Keri Oliver, Genetic Counsellor) and Cardiology (Mel Doyle, Ellen Berry, Cardiac Genetics Nurses, Dr Tim Robinson, Dr Andrew Staniforth, Dr John Walsh, Consultant Cardiologists) .

The ICC clinic also organises investigations for relatives when there has been a sudden cardiac death in the family.

Childrens ICC clinics are held monthly at the Children’s Outpatients Department, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham. 

Referrals for children should be addressed to Dr Nora Shannon, Clinical Genetics Service. Please see information on our website about referring to Clinical Genetics.

Information and support for families with inherited cardiac conditions can be found at the British Heart Foundation website here - https://www.bhf.org.uk/

Cardiac genetics clinic

The Inherited Cardiac Conditions (ICC clinic) offers detailed investigation, diagnosis and management for families who have or are at risk of inherited cardiac conditions.  This is a multidisciplinary clinic with patients being seen by teams from Genetics (Dr Nora Shannon, Consultant Clinical Geneticist,  Keri Oliver, Genetic Counsellor) and Cardiology (Cardiac Genetics Nurses, Dr Tim Robinson, Dr Andrew Staniforth, Dr John Walsh, Consultant Cardiologists) .

The ICC clinic also organises investigations for relatives when there has been a sudden cardiac death in the family.

Adult ICC clinics involving genetics are held monthly at the Trent Cardiac Centre at City Hospital, Nottingham.

Childrens ICC clinics are held monthly at the Children’s Outpatients Department, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham. 

Referrals for adults should be addressed to inherited cardiac conditions nurses or the clinical genetics service.

Tel: 0115 969 1169 ext 74999

Fax: 0115 9627986 

Email: nuhnt.clinicalgenetics@nhs.net

Postal address: Inherited Cardiac Conditions service, Linby Ward, South Entrance, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, City Campus, Hucknall Road, Nottingham. NG5 1PB

Referrals for children should be addressed to Dr Nora Shannon, Clinical Genetics Service. Please see information on our website about referring to Clinical Genetics.

Information and support for families with inherited cardiac conditions can be found at the British Heart Foundation website here - https://www.bhf.org.uk/

Skeletal dysplasia

The Skeletal Dysplasia Clinic is held 9 times a year at the Queen’s Medical Centre. This clinic sees children and their families affected by skeletal dysplasia. This is a multidisciplinary clinic run by Consultant Clinical Geneticist Dr Mohnish Suri and Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Dominik Lawniczak.

Lymphoedema

The Joint Lymphoedema Genetics Clinic is held six times a year at the Long Eaton Health Centre.  This is a multidisciplinary clinic with patients seen by Consultant Clinical Geneticists, Dr Mohnish Suri and Dr Gabriela Jones, and Lead Lymphoedema Consultant at the Royal Derby Hospital Professor Vaughan Keely.

Paediatric dermatology

The Joint Dermatology Genetics Clinic is held three times a year at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham. This is a multidisciplinary clinic seeing mainly children with genodermatoses and is run by Dr Jane Ravenscroft, Consultant Paediatric Dermatologist and Dr Mohnish Suri, Consultant Clinical Geneticist.

Ophthalmology

The Joint Paediatric Ophthalmic Genetics Clinic offers diagnosis, investigation and management for children with or at risk of hereditary eye conditions. This is a multidisciplinary clinic with patients seen by a Consultant Clinical Geneticist (Dr Nora Shannon, Dr Claire Searle) or a Genetic Counsellor (Catherine Lamb) and a Paedatric Opthalmologist (Dr Rosemary Lambley and Dr Shery Thomas).

This clinic is held four times a year in the Paediatric Opthalmology department at the Queen’s Medical Centre.

Referrals should be addressed to Miss Rosemary Lambley or Mr Shery Thomas (Consultant Ophthalmologists at Queen’s Medical Centre) or the Clinical Genetics Service. Please see information on our website about referring to clinical genetics.

Information and support for families with inherited eye conditions can be found at the RNIB website here - https://www.rnib.org.uk/

Paediatric nephrology

The Paediatric Nephrology Genetics Clinic is held 4 times a year at the Queen’s Medical Centre for children with a known or suspected genetic kidney condition.  Patients are seen by our Consultant Clinical Geneticist with an interest in kidney disorders, Dr Abhijit Dixit, and consultant colleagues from the paediatric nephrology (children’s kidney diseases) team.

Patients may have blood and urine tests as part of this clinic, and other investigations as appropriate, alongside a discussion of the genetic aspects of their condition.

Paediatric endocrinology

The Paediatric Endocrinology Genetics Clinic is held twice a year at the Queen’s Medical Centre for children with a known or suspected genetic hormonal disorder.  Patients are seen by Consultant Clinical Geneticist with an interest in endocrinology, Dr Abhijit Dixit, and consultant colleagues from the paediatric endocrinology team (children’s hormone specialists).

Patients may have physical examination and other investigations (such as blood tests) as part of this clinic as appropriate, alongside a discussion of the genetic aspects of their condition.

Disorders of sex development (DSD)

The Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) clinic is held four times a year at the Queen’s Medical Centre.  The clinic sees babies, children and young people under 18 years of age. Patients will usually see several members of the DSD team, depending on the reason for their clinic visit.

The DSD team comprises of specialists from paediatric endocrinology (children’s hormone doctors and specialist nurse), Urology (surgeons) and Genetics (Consultant Clinical Geneticist Dr Abhijit Dixit and Genetic Counsellor Marie-Anne O’Reilly).

More information about DSDs can be found via the support group website at www.dsdfamilies.org

Von Hippel Lindau (VHL)

The Von Hippel Lindau (VHL) Clinic is held once a month in Nottingham at City Hospital. This clinic is run by Consultant Clinical Geneticist Dr Rachel Harrison and Genetic Counsellor Elizabeth King for patients with VHL and their families. 

The VHL clinic coordinates surveillance for the features of VHL and supports families and at-risk relatives with the condition.  We often share care with other specialists in Ophthalmology, Urology and Neurosurgery.

Information and support for VHL families can be found at the VHL UK and Ireland Alliance website here - http://vhl-uk-ireland.org/

Regional Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) clinic

The Regional Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) Clinic is held once a year in Nottingham at the Queen’s Medical Centre.  This clinic is part of the Cambridge NF2 Service, more information can be found here: https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/neurofibromatosis-type-ii-nf2-service

This is a multidisciplinary clinic run by a team of specialists from ENT (Mr Patrick Axon and Professor O'Donoghue), Genetics (Dr Rachel Harrison), Neurosurgery and Specialist Nurses.

Referrals should be addressed to the Cambridge NF2 team and more information can be found here: https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/neurofibromatosis-type-ii-nf2-service

Information and support for families with NF2 can be found at the Nerve Tumours UK website here: https://nervetumours.org.uk/

National Paediatric Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) clinic

The National Paediatric Ataxia-Telangiectasia Clinic is held 18 times per year at the Children’s Centre, Nottingham City Hospital. This is a multidisciplinary clinic that is held over one day with patients seen by several members of the A-T Clinic team.

The A-T Clinic team consists of:                                                                                               

Dr Mohnish Suri, Consultant Clinical Geneticist with an interest in A-T (Clincal Lead)         

Tina Boyd, A-T Nurse Specialist                                                                                             

Julie Breedon, Specialty PA for A-T clinic                                                                       

Respiratory paediatricians, paediatric neurologists, immunologists, paediatric physiotherapist, paediatric respiratory physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist and dietician.

The families also get to see the AT Society support team and a psychotherapist at the hotel the day before clinic.  

All team members have many years of experience of managing A-T in children.

Information and support for families with ataxia telangiectasia can be found on the A-T Society website here: https://www.atsociety.org.uk

Complex vascular anomalies (CoVAC) MDT

The Complex Vascular Anomalies Multidisciplinary Team Meeting is held four times a year at the Royal Derby Hospital.  This MDT brings together specialists from Genetics, Lymphoedema Service, Dermatology, Interventional Radiology and Vascular Surgery to discuss complex cases of vascular anomalies.