1. Introduction and contacts
Updated 29 September 2025
漏 Crown copyright 2025
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1. Introduction
This handbook informs and supports midwives, health visitors, neonatal nurses, laboratory staff and other health professionals who deliver the聽NHS聽Newborn Blood Spot (NBS) Screening Programme in England.
The handbook provides a detailed outline of the聽NBS聽screening pathway and directs the user to other relevant publications. Health professionals can use it as a quick reference guide to answer specific questions.
1.1 Midwives
Useful information includes:
- informed choice
- what to do if parents decline screening
- what to do if there is a family history of a condition
- reasons for repeat blood spots
- explaining repeat samples to parents
- how parents receive results
1.2 Health visitors
Useful information includes:
- what to do when a baby moves into area
- when to offer screening
- which conditions screening covers
- informed choice
- how parents receive results
1.3 Neonatal nurses
Useful information includes:
- informed choice
- pre听补苍诲听post聽transfusion blood spot samples
- how prematurity affects screening
- reasons for repeat blood spots
- how parents receive results
1.4 Screening coordinators
Useful information includes:
- NHS听苍耻尘产别谤蝉听补苍诲听barcode labels
- transporting samples
- newborn blood spot failsafe solution
- repeat blood spots
- quality assurance
- programme standards and聽KPI听诲补迟补
- service specification and screening pathway
- incidence and positive predictive values
The content draws on evidence, healthcare professional enquiries to the programme, lessons from patient safety incidents, data collection, assessment of performance against standards, and evaluation of the programme鈥檚 e-learning resources.
2. Contacting the聽NBS聽screening programme
罢丑别听NBS聽screening programme is here to help. Feel free to contact us at england.annb-qa-admin@nhs.net聽about any questions you have about newborn blood spot screening. We do not have access to screening results.
For example:
Question: I am a midwife. If a barcoded聽NHS聽number label has the baby鈥檚 name and聽NHS聽number on the label does this still need to be entered manually?
Answer: You do not need to enter the baby鈥檚 name and聽NHS聽number manually on the blood spot card if they are already on the barcoded label. However, you should check with the mother that all details on the label and card are correct. If baby鈥檚聽NHS聽number on the label is incorrect, then make a note of it in the comments box and enter it manually on the card.
Question: I鈥檓 a health visitor. The mother has thalassaemia trait. Will the baby be tested for thalassaemia by newborn blood spot screening?
Answer: Please see this聽leaflet聽for details on this scenario.
Contact us with your questions about聽NBS聽screening, as well as any feedback on this programme handbook.
Antenatal and newborn screening queries
贰尘补颈濒听 england.annb-qa-admin@nhs.net
The helpdesk is not for media enquiries and does not have access to screening results. For queries about results, contact your GP or local screening service. Order screening leaflets at聽NHS population screening: how to order printed leaflets - 伊人直播 .