Guidance

SCT screening: handbook for antenatal laboratories

Policy and standards for antenatal laboratories working with the NHS sickle cell and thalassaemia (SCT) screening programme.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This is the fifth edition of the NHS sickle cell and thalassaemia (SCT) screening programme handbook for antenatal laboratories.

This handbook is for staff working in antenatal screening laboratories. It brings together in one publication the national guidelines, recommendations, standards and specifications for the NHS SCT screening programme that relate to the work performed by screening laboratories.

See SCT screening: handbook for newborn laboratories for policy and standards for SCT screening newborn laboratories.

This publication was previously published by Public Health England, which closed on 30 September 2021.

Updates to this page

Published 24 November 2021
Last updated 10 October 2024 + show all updates
  1. Added clarification that publication was previously published by Public Health England. Removed screening helpdesk information.

  2. Updated the email address for the screening support service.

  3. Removal of minimum testing requirements table in section 1.14 of 'Interpretation and reporting of antenatal screening results' chapter.

  4. Addition of sub-section to Introduction chapter 'Education of laboratory screening staff'

  5. Governance, quality assurance and accreditation chapter amended to include information on different models of SCT screening delivery and level of UKAS assessment required.

  6. Addition of explanatory paragraphs at the start of the Recommended report formats section.

  7. Updated wording for section 1.1 'Referral of blood samples for DNA analysis' in Referral of antenatal samples for molecular analysis attachment.

  8. First published.

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