Find out more about the introduction of SMA screening for newborn babies in England, which began on 1 October 2026 in Birmingham, and extends to other parts of the country in a phased-rollout throughout 2026, 2027 and 2028.
You may have seen in the news that, from 1 October 2026, babies across England will start to be tested for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare but serious genetic condition that affects 1 in 10,000 children.
Screening for SMA will be introduced in a phased approach as part of an in-service evaluation.
The first newborn blood spot laboratory will begin screening in October 2026 with others across the country following at two-monthly intervals. It is expected that all babies across England will be offered SMA screening by spring 2028.
Once the evaluation is complete, the UK National Screening Committee will use the information gathered to decide whether to include SMA screening as standard within the newborn blood spot programme.
Please note: If you live within the East Midlands or East of England, SMA screening will be expanded to our regional laboratory in Cambridge after Phase 1, which will be at some point between winter 2027 and spring 2028.
Find out more, including FAQs for families, on our news page
