The service, developed in collaboration with Birmingham Children’s Hospital Clinical Genetics Team, will process DNA samples from babies and children with a significantly quicker turnaround time.

Dr Abdulhakim Abdurrazaq, Consultant Paediatrician with Renal and Neonatal Interest at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, said the clinic aims to improve the uptake and success of whole genome sequencing.

Whole genome sequencing works by looking for changes in genes. This can help rapidly determine a diagnosis, opening up the possibility for many more patients to receive treatment and, in some cases, a complete cure.

He said: “Having this service at Walsall means we can achieve a much quicker turnaround time and improve patient satisfaction.

“We have received wonderful feedback so far. What we advocate is high-quality care, timely investigations and results, using the resources currently available.

“One parent said, ‘Thanks to the clinic, after all these years of multiple investigations, we finally have an answer.’

“Before introducing the one-stop clinic, families would have to book appointments through several different services, and the process was not joined up.

“Now, with everything done within one clinic, all forms are completed and blood samples taken in one place under the supervision of Dr Darwin Pauldhas and myself.”

Other benefits of the service include:
• Quicker turnaround time for diagnosis
• More accurate diagnosis
• More informed treatment decisions
• Earlier interventions
• Negative results that can alleviate anxiety and uncertainty

The clinic is currently being delivered by Mairrah Panhwar, Paediatric Registrar, and Asya Begum, Physician Associate, on Ward 21.

One in 17 people in England will develop a rare disease during their lifetime, and more than 80 per cent of these conditions are genetic in origin. Around three-quarters of rare genetic disorders present during childhood and account for almost a third of Neonatal Intensive Care deaths.