Petition · past parliament · Department of Health and Social Care

Compel the NHS to trace and contact people at risk of Huntington’s Disease

Rejected 12 signatures

What the petition asks

I would like to see the NHS develop and implement a contact tracing service for HD, enabling people to have genetic testing and plan their futures with all the information they need. This could lead to HD being wiped out within a generation.
The NHS has a confused, inconsistent and arbitrary approach to HD; because the disease is not treatable, it is not seen as serious enough to require medical staff to breach their patient’s confidentiality in order to tell people who are at risk. However, the NHS will not provide genetic testing on demand, forcing people to have counselling prior to testing, even then maybe denying a test to people whom they feel are not robust enough to cope with knowing they carry they gene.

Why it was rejected

It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.

Petitions must call for a specific action that the UK Government or House of Commons is responsible for.

Decisions about developing a contact tracing service for Huntington's Disease is a matter for the NHS, not the Government or House of Commons.

As a result it is not possible for the Government or House of Commons to take the action you have requested.

Timeline

10 Sep 2021 Petition opened for signatures
11 Oct 2021 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 12
Status Rejected
Department Department of Health and Social Care
Rejected 11 Oct 2021

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.