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Response to Evening Standard article 23 August 2010

24 August 2010

An article that appeared in The Evening Standard on Monday 23 August includes some factual inaccuracies:

The hospital would like to stress that no formal modelling has taken place based on an increase in cousin marriage nor on any change in the ethnic makeup of our patients.

In addition, some statistics in the article are factually incorrect and contrary to professional advice given to the newspaper at the time of their  enquiry.

A Clinical Geneticist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children said:
"Two per cent of babies in the UK are born with a serious disability. Couples who are first cousins have an increased chance of a baby having a serious autosomal recessive genetic condition which amounts to approximately 3 per cent in addition to the background 2 per cent risk."

Contact information:

GOSH-ICH Press Office: 020 7239 3125
Email: Coxs@gosh.nhs.uk
For genuine and urgent out of hours call speak to switchboard on 020 7405 9200

Notes to editors

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust is the country’s leading centre for treating sick children, with the widest range of specialists under one roof.

With the UCL Institute of Child Health, we are the largest centre for paediatric research outside the US and play a key role in training children’s health specialists for the future.

Our charity needs to raise £50 million every year to help rebuild and refurbish Great Ormond Street Hospital, buy vital equipment and fund pioneering research. With your help we provide world class care to our very ill children and their families.

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