Well now you are the defeatist. I believe that we can do better than that. To commemorate this fact, "dare to dream", is now my official Shock Motto for the next hour and 6 minutes.

Good on you

DNA mapping for cancer patients

Up to 100,000 patients with cancer and rare diseases in England are to have their entire genetic code sequenced.

The Prime Minister will announce £100m has been set aside for the project over the next three to five years.

The aim is to give doctors a better understanding of patients' genetic make-up, condition and treatment needs, and help develop new cancer treatments.

One human genome contains three billion base pairs - the building blocks of DNA.

Sequencing the code produces a huge amount of data. Although the price is falling fast, it currently costs £5,000 to £10,000 - which explains why no country in the world has embarked on mass DNA mapping on this scale.

When it will start - who will do the genome sequencing and analysis - has not been worked out - nor which patients will be eligible for the voluntary testing.

But the hope is by comparing genetic profiles of huge numbers of patients, it will allow scientists to understand why some do far better than others - and help in the quest for new treatments.

Privacy campaigners are concern such a move could allow personal data to be passed on to private companies, such as insurance companies.

But ministers insist the project is for medical research alone.

Full article here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20663090

Just on the issue of trust, that's how little there is in the PM! He announces what would be a great project, and people, me included, immediately wonder what he's really up to!

I suspect it's not him per se, it's politicians full stop.I'd imagine the public perception of their trustworthiness as a group is at an all time low.

£1000 a head eh? Well, I guess we're safe for a while. Even this lot wouldn't have the gumption to suggest blowing £60 billion on a general DNA record scheme even before you cost the IT project to hold it all and present it for searching (which would inevitably have cost about five times what it should).

Whilst likely a noble effort, I agree that the fact there's a politician behind it makes me smell a rat. Wouldn't surprise me if Cameron was getting a backhander from a company for this. Imagine a whole DNA database that everyone has to pay to be able to use for research.

More than likely that the company that gets the contract will employ numerous ex cabinet ministers in part time executive roles at £100 000 a year for a four hour week.

No one has mentioned Capita here yet. Surely they are in the running?

LMFTFY.