Guidance

1. Introduction and contacts

Updated 29 September 2025

1. Introduction

This handbook informs and supports midwives, health visitors, neonatal nurses, laboratory staff and other health professionals who deliver the NHS Newborn Blood Spot (NBS) Screening Programme in England.

The handbook provides a detailed outline of the NBS 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:

1.2 Health visitors

Useful information includes:

1.3 Neonatal nurses

Useful information includes:

1.4 Screening coordinators

Useful information includes:

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’s e-learning resources.

2. Contacting the NBS screening programme

The NBS screening programme is here to help. Feel free to contact us at england.annb-qa-admin@nhs.net 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 NHS number label has the baby’s name and NHS number on the label does this still need to be entered manually?

Answer: You do not need to enter the baby’s name and NHS 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’s NHS 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’m a health visitor. The mother has thalassaemia trait. Will the baby be tested for thalassaemia by newborn blood spot screening?

Answer: Please see this leaflet for details on this scenario.

Contact us with your questions about NBS screening, as well as any feedback on this programme handbook.

Antenatal and newborn screening queries

Email  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 NHS population screening: how to order printed leaflets - GOV.UK .