Guidance

Newborn blood spot screening: programme handbook

This guidance explains what is required of health professionals carrying out newborn blood spot (NBS) screening.

• From: NHS England
• Published: 1 January 2014
• Last updated: 23 April 2025 — See all updates

Documents

1. Introduction and contacts

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2. Screening pathway

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3. Results and records

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4. Repeat blood spot samples

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5. Family history

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6. Education and training

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7. Conditions

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8. Programme overview

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Appendix A: incidence and positive predictive values

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Appendix B: when screening started

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Details

This document brings together all the guidelines and publications that relate to the NHS Newborn Blood Spot (NBS) Screening Programme.

The content is directly on the HTML webpages rather than in a separate file that needs to be downloaded and viewed using other software. HTML content is easier to search and view on a range of devices.

To search within the document press Ctrl F to open the search bar in the web browser. Type the search text and press Enter. All instances of the text will be highlighted on the webpage.

Published 1 January 2014

Last updated 23 April 2025 + show all updates

1. 23 April 2025

   Updated Results and records section following a change to the requirements for screening providers in the screening service schedule for 2025/26.

2. 8 October 2024

   Added clarification that publication was previously published by Public Health England.

3. 3 August 2018

   Revised and updated the newborn blood spot screening guidance.

4. 1 January 2014

   First published.