NHS to Screen Newborns for Spinal Muscular Atrophy from October, Saving Thousands
Hundreds of thousands of children could be saved from painful and avoidable deaths following the government's decision to test more newborns for a rare genetic disease from October this year. The NHS currently carries out 'heel prick' tests on babies at around five days old to check for just ten treatable conditions, including cystic fibrosis.
Campaign Led by Jesy Nelson Sparks Change
Earlier this year, former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson called on the NHS to expand its screening to check for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare muscle-wasting condition which her twin daughters were born with. Heartbreakingly, because of their late diagnosis, it is unlikely that her twins, Ocean and Story, will live past the age of two.
But now, despite the UK's National Screening Committee rejecting calls to introduce checks for another muscular disease in January, Wes Streeting has announced plans for more than 400,000 babies to be screened for the condition from October 2026. The news comes following tireless calls demanding the health secretary to overrule the committee's guidance and make effective treatment more accessible on the NHS.
Expert Insights on the Urgency of Early Diagnosis
Paediatric consultant Dr Simon Jones, a leading expert in metabolic diseases at St Mary’s Hospital previously told the Mail: ‘I’ve seen children who received treatment grow up healthy - and I’ve watched others deteriorate and die because they were diagnosed just weeks too late. No parent should have to bury their child because the Department of Health is still making up its mind about a test that could have saved them.’
SMA is a rare but devastating degenerative condition, affecting around one in 14,000 babies, with the majority being type 1 which affects babies less than six months old. Common symptoms include:
- Muscle weakness, such as floppy or weak arms and legs
- Movement problems
- Problems with breathing or swallowing
- Tremors and bone and joint issues that can lead to spine curvature
Most types of SMA are caused by inherited faulty genes and crucially can be picked up through a heel prick blood test. Tests, including genetic blood tests, are available before, during and after pregnancy but historically have only been offered to at-risk parents and children.
Government Announcement and Pilot Programme Details
This is about to change. Wes Streeting announced today that he is bringing forward plans to screen babies in England for SMA from January 2027 to October this year - as is already the case in Scotland. In a letter addressed to the singer and Giles Lomax, chief executive of SMA UK, Streeting said: 'At our meeting I committed to seeing whether the in-service evaluation of SMA screening could be implemented faster and cover a wider geographical areas. I am pleased to confirm that [screening] will now start in October this year rather than January 2025 as previously planned.'
He continued: 'It was great to meet you both and I really appreciated you sharing your personal experiences of raising children with SMA and applaud the work you have both done highlighting the issue and seeking earlier diagnosis.'
The pilot will see an estimated 404,000 babies tested in England. But a further 163,000 will go untested as a control group which will be used to compare outcomes - a situation experts have branded 'unethical'. Whilst there is currently no cure for the condition, there are treatments available to help SMA have the best possible quality of life - with early support being vital.
Challenges and Future Plans for National Rollout
In response, Streeting has said officials are still working through the 'challenges' related to extending the pilot to the whole of England, The Mirror has reported. 'As you know, I'd like to see a full rollout,' the letter continued.
The main treatments for the condition include three NHS-approved drugs that target the altered genes that cause SMA:
- Nusinersen
- Risdiplam
- Onasemnogene abeparvovec
The worry is that these treatments are currently administered too late to make a difference, once substantial nerve damage has occurred. Only one condition has been added to the UK newborn screening programme since 2015.
A spokesperson for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which is funding the scheme, said: 'Its potential impact will be to demonstrate whether newborn screening for SMA can be delivered effectively through the NHS, accurately and quickly identify affected babies, and provide robust evidence to inform a national decision on introducing SMA screening.'
