All newborn babies in England will now be tested for spinal muscular atrophy through the heel prick blood test as part of an evaluation programme. Laboratories are set to begin the screening from October 2026, three months earlier than originally planned.
The initiative, funded by a £4.1 million grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research and led by the University of Oxford, seeks to identify the rare genetic condition at the earliest possible stage. Spinal muscular atrophy causes progressive muscle weakness. In severe cases it can prevent babies from sitting, crawling or walking and may affect their ability to breathe and swallow.
Early detection allows timely treatment that markedly improves outcomes. Scotland has already introduced newborn screening for the condition. Implementation across England will continue throughout 2027 until every newborn screening laboratory in the United Kingdom offers the test.
Jesy Nelson, who campaigned for the inclusion of spinal muscular atrophy in the programme after her twin daughters received the diagnosis, described the development as evidence of what determined advocacy combined with clinical progress can achieve. The former Little Mix singer emphasised the protection this offers to the most vulnerable infants from the first days of life.
No parent should have to watch their child lose the ability to move or breathe, knowing that earlier treatment could have made all the difference. This expansion means babies across England will be tested from birth, giving them the best possible chance of a full and healthy life, and another step in the right direction as we do all we can to reduce health inequalities.
James Murray, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, issued that statement on 16 July 2026. His words underscore a clear moral priority: safeguarding the inherent potential of every child through rigorous, evidence-based medicine rather than expansive state intervention.
Nelson spoke with measured realism about the limits and the promise of the change.
