A HOSPITAL genetics unit, which helps North-East families with a history of illness to identify potential future health problems, has become the first in the UK to be integrated into mainstream healthcare.

In 2003, the Northern genetics service at Newcastle's International Centre for Life set up a purpose-built satellite unit - the first in the country - at The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough.

The unit was also one of a small number of services in England to be awarded £300,000 by the Department of Health and Macmillan Cancer Relief to take part in a pilot study exploring new ways of identifying people with a family history of cancer and providing them with appropriate advice, support and care.

Its initial results have revealed at least 55 per cent of people who had concerns about their family history and took part were assessed as having an increased risk of cancer, compared to the average population.

More than 3,000 people have been seen locally. Other findings included:

* People concerned about a possible risk of inherited cancer were able to access initial risk assessment quickly and easily;

* Services have resulted in a better use of specialist clinicians, who are seeing more appropriate referrals;

* Services have avoided unnecessary and inappropriate screening.

Consultant in clinical genetics Dr Paul Brennan said: "This is really good for South Tees, Macmillan and genetics - this is the first service in the UK to break down the barrier between tertiary clinical genetics services and start to incorporate genetics into mainstream healthcare.

"It is a successful and effective service which not only signposts patients to the right level of healthcare, but helps to stop inappropriate referrals and reduces the costs in screening as well.

"For families who have had a number of relatives with cancer, we are offering people advice about their chance of developing the disease, helping them access regular screening and genetic testing where necessary and giving them the opportunity to think about what they can do to help themselves."

The pilot programme ran between 2004 and this year.

In each area GPs, community nurses, local cancer experts and specialised genetic services worked together to raise awareness of genetic risk in the public and primary healthcare communities, and to ensure that patients concerned about their family history of cancer were properly assessed and received care appropriate to their level of risk.