Improving early access to sickle cell and thalassaemia screening

Early access to sickle cell and thalassaemia screening and the early offer of prenatal diagnosis (PND) is important in giving women and couples time to consider their options.
Early access to sickle cell and thalassaemia screening and the early offer of prenatal diagnosis (PND) is important in giving women and couples time to consider their options.
We’re pleased to announce the publication of an updated version of the antenatal laboratory handbook for the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia (SCT) Screening Programme.
This study day is for non specialist nurses, midwives and health visitors working in SCT screening in England. Accredited by the Royal College of Midwives, I am pleased to say we are able to provide funding for eligible participants.
As part of a wider investigation into why women are tested late, we commissioned the UK Thalassaemia Society (UKTS) and Sickle Cell Society (SCS) to carry out face to face interviews with women and couples who had recent experience of the SCT programme.
I’m the Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Lead at Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital. For the past year I’ve been on secondment as national project lead for the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia (SCT) Screening Programme.
We’ve now published the screening key performance indicator (KPI) data for the fourth quarter of 2016 to 2017 (Q4, January to March 2017). The KPIs are used to measure how NHS screening programmes are performing and aim to give a high level overview of programme quality.
NHS England has published the 2017-18 service specifications for all 11 NHS Screening Programmes. The specifications accompany the 2017-18 agreement that outlines how NHS England commissions certain public health services under section 7A of the National Health Service Act 2006.
Today we published the key performance indicator (KPI) templates for the first quarter of 2017 to 2018. This covers the period 1 April to 30 June 2017. Data collection is from maternity services and child health information systems (CHIS).
We have published new information that describes the checks and audits that are needed for the sickle cell and thalassaemia (SCT) screening pathway.
I’m the antenatal and newborn screening coordinator at Northampton General Hospital. That means I’m responsible for making sure we offer and carry out all antenatal and newborn screening tests correctly for mothers and babies in our care.