Overview

• The NHS England Genomics Education Programme removed a webpage after it described first-cousin marriage as linked to stronger extended family support and economic advantages.
• Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he was unaware of the guidance before publication, called it unacceptable, and demanded an apology from the unit responsible.
• A separate NIHR research presentation, still online, urges staff to build cultural competence and to understand consanguinity and termination from an Islamic perspective.
• Critics including Richard Holden MP and Dr Patrick Nash argue the materials downplay genetic risks and have renewed calls for an outright ban on first-cousin marriage.
• First-cousin marriage remains legal in the UK, and reporting notes established elevated risks of recessive genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and thalassaemia, while earlier statements from Prime Minister Keir Starmer favored education over a ban.