TY - JOUR T1 - Is primary care the right place for genetic diagnosis? JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 750 LP - 751 VL - 57 IS - 542 AU - Michael M Hopkins Y1 - 2007/09/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/57/542/750.abstract N2 - The inaugural meeting of the Primary Care Genetics Society (PCGS) in London on 14 February 2007 was host to around 100 people, including over 40 GPs. Similar grass-roots professional bodies such as the Clinical Genetics Society, have previously played a central role in the shaping of genetic testing services in tertiary care.1 The founders of the new PCGS hope it will also become an important force for change in the use of genetics in health care, by helping primary care professionals to apply genetic knowledge in their practice and put forward their needs in policy debate. A central feature of the meeting's programme was one such debate around the motion: ‘This house believes that primary care is well placed to diagnose genetic conditions’.It is now more than 3 years since the Department of Health outlined plans to encourage wider exploitation of genetic knowledge in the NHS,2 including in primary care, and the debate reported here, was an informative thermometer of current opinion.Dr Nigel Starey (for the motion) based his argument on the holistic approach that GPs have traditionally played in the care of patients. Despite today's more mobile population, people still form longer relationships with their GPs than with those in more episodic-based secondary care. GPs are therefore well placed to help patients to navigate the system and balance their different needs. Even though some may not see the relevance of genetics to primary care practitioners, Starey, a GP with a special interest (GPwSI) in genetics, … ER -