Here is a round-up of each and every Public Health England (PHE) screening blog post published in August and September 2021. There were 33 in total.
General information
Pinging in the changes – update on text messaging in screening
Text messaging has become an increasingly important tool to communicate and connect with patients.
Fourth quarterly KPI data for 2020 to 2021 published
We published the fourth set of quarterly 2020 to 2021 key performance indicator (KPI) data for the NHS screening programmes.
Find the screening information you need on GOV.UK
Some handy tips for finding the information you need on GOV.UK.
Report published marking 25 years of UK National Screening Committee
We published a report summarising the work of the UK National Screening Committee over the past 25 years.
New guidance to help NHS antenatal and newborn screening providers tackle inequalities
New national guidance published to support antenatal and newborn (ANNB) screening providers in addressing inequalities throughout the screening pathway.
Your chance to suggest a new NHS screening programme
The 6th annual UK National Screening Committee call for new screening ‘topics’ (conditions) is now open.
Breast screening
New guidance to help NHS breast screening providers and commissioners tackle inequalities
New national guidance published to support providers in addressing inequalities throughout the breast screening programme pathway.
Bowel cancer screening
NHS bowel cancer screening pathologists lead the way virtually
Read about how the bowel cancer screening pathology study days were held virtually and what's coming next.
Cervical screening
Cervical Screening Saves Lives – evaluating the national campaign
The first national ‘Cervical Screening Saves Lives’ campaign ran from 5 March 2019 to 30 April 2019 in England, as part of the wider Be Clear on Cancer initiative.
We have selected 32 sites to take part in the HPValidate study.
Diabetic eye screening (DES)
Guidance on managing the NHS diabetic eye screening register updated
We updated guidance on how to manage 'missed individuals' on the DES screening register.
Short film helps reassure people about Covid safety of NHS diabetic eye screening clinics
Short film helps reassure people about the measures in place to keep them safe at diabetic eye screening appointments.
All 57 diabetic eye screening providers successfully submitted data to this year’s National Diabetes Audit which now includes a complete picture of the diabetic eye screening care process nationally.
Fetal anomaly screening (FASP)
Updated national FASP screening standards published
This is the first major review of the FASP screening standards since they were introduced in 2016.
DQASS reporting website goes live
The Down’s syndrome screening quality assurance support service (DQASS) monitors and supports the quality and effectiveness of Down’s syndrome (T21), Edwards’ syndrome (T18) and Patau’s syndrome (T13) screening in England.
You said, we did – NIPT result templates
You told us you wanted result templates to provide lower chance results to women following non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) screening.
Infectious diseases in pregnancy (IDPS) screening
WHO highlights role of screening and vaccination in reaching hepatitis B control targets
The PHE IDPS programme and PHE immunisation team are celebrating after a commendation for the UK in achieving regional hepatitis B control targets.
Tell us what you think about the draft IDPS laboratory handbook
The PHE infectious diseases in pregnancy screening (IDPS) programme national team is seeking feedback on a draft version of the updated laboratory handbook.
Newborn blood spot (NBS) screening
New resources to help improve quality of samples taken in NHS newborn blood spot screening
When carrying out NHS newborn blood spot (NBS) screening, good quality samples are vital to make sure babies with rare but serious conditions are identified and treated early.
When blood spot sample takers need to begin offering SCID screening
Read about the dates blood spot takers need to start offering parents and carers severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) screening as part of an evaluation in England.
Launch of new NHS SCID screening resources for parents and professionals
An evaluation into screening babies for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in England starts on 6 September 2021. This article describes some of the new resources for parents and professionals that have been developed for the evaluation and points you towards where you can find them.
SCID e-learning resource launches
We’re really pleased to launch our new SCID screening e-learning resource.
Valuable feedback from newborn blood spot failsafe solution (NBSFS) survey
The PHE newborn blood spot (NBS) screening team has analysed results from its evaluation survey of the newborn blood spot failsafe solution.
Evaluation launches of newborn screening for SCID in the NHS
An evaluation of newborn blood spot screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) launches today in some parts of England.
The story of Sheila Jones and unlocking the treatment for phenylketonuria
Find out about the first child in the world to receive dietary treatment for phenylketonuria (PKU).
Newborn hearing screening programme
100th candidate completes NHS newborn hearing screening competency assessment
The 100th candidate successfully completed the external competency assessment (ECA) in September 2021.
NHSP standards consultation responses and supporting data report published
We have published a summary of the responses received, as well as a data report to provide evidence for the proposed changes in response to comments received.
NHS newborn hearing screening: 11 million babies and counting
The NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme has played a major role in identifying moderate to profound hearing loss in newborn babies in England and has reached another major milestone, having now screened 11 million babies.
Newborn and infant physical examination (NIPE) screening
NIPE screening team celebrates full roll out of SMaRT4NIPE (S4N) IT system and national standards
Read about the full roll out of S4N across England and other recent PHE NIPE screening team achievements.
Sickle cell and thalassaemia (SCT) screening
SCT screening support service available for expert advice
The Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Support Service in Oxford provides expert technical and scientific support to screening services.
Time to embed the newborn outcomes solution into clinical practice
Read about the newborn outcomes (NBO) solution, a web-based system for referring newborn babies who screen positive for sickle cell disease (SCD) and thalassaemia.
New date for specialist sickle cell and thalassaemia counsellor update course
The team is pleased to announce a new date for the very popular specialist counsellor update course – 8 December 2021.
New development in the newborn outcomes solution
Changes to the newborn outcomes solution reflect feedback from users and include improvements for laboratory users and changes to data entry pages for laboratory and clinical (nurse/medical) users.
Other new and updated publications
Other new publications we published in August and September included:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm minimum dataset dictionary
- Severe mental illness: inequalities in cancer screening uptake
- SCID screening: helping you decide if you want this for your baby
- SCID screening evaluation: templates for immunology services and teams
- SCID screening evaluation: checklists for immunology services
- Antenatal and newborn screening: identifying and reducing inequalities
- UK National Screening Committee: 25 years of recommendations
- Newborn hearing screening standards: consultation
- NIPE screening programme: standards data report
- Breast screening: identifying and reducing inequalities
Other existing publications we updated in August and September included:
- Newborn hearing screening programme (NHSP) operational guidance
- Population screening: access for people with severe mental illness
- National breast screening pathology audit
- Cervical screening: gynaecological cytopathology EQA scheme
- Severe skeletal dysplasia: information for parents (previously 'lethal skeletal dysplasia')
- Diabetic eye screening: when images cannot be taken or are inadequate
- Diabetic eye screening: retinal image grading criteria
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening screening: programme specific operating model
- Antenatal and newborn screening: programme specific operating model
- Breast screening: programme specific operating model
- Bowel cancer screening: programme specific operating model
- Cervical screening: programme specific operating model
- Diabetic eye screening: programme specific operating model
- Data submission template: child health information services
- Data submission template: maternity service
- Data submission template: FASP screening laboratories
- NHS numbers for newborn screening: specification for the blood spot card label
- Cervical screening: support for people who find it hard to attend
- Cystic fibrosis: presumed positive template letter
- Bowel cancer screening kit: how to use
- Fetal anomaly screening programme handbook
- NHS screening programmes: KPI reports 2020 to 2021
- Cleft lip: information for parents
- Clinical pathway for babies who screen positive for SCID
- Newborn blood spot screening: results to parents letter templates
- NHS population screening: diploma for health screeners
- Breast screening: guidance on overseas recruitment
- Sickle cell and thalassaemia screening: newborn outcomes solution
- NHS population screening: identifying and reducing inequalities
- Screening for Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome: non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT)
- Newborn blood spot screening: failsafe solution user guide
- AAA screening: competence assessment and logbook
- Cervical screening: programme and colposcopy management
- Cervical screening: histopathology reporting handbook
- Cervical screening: laboratory HPV testing and cytology services
- Fetal anomaly screening programme: standards
- Infectious diseases in pregnancy screening (IDPS): programme overview
- NHS population screening: data requests and research
- Cervical screening: auditing procedures