England introduces newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy

The United Kingdom’s National Screening Committee has approved the addition of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) to England’s newborn blood‑spot screening programme. The move aligns England with Scotland, which began SMA testing in 2024, and follows a public petition that gathered more than 150,000 signatures.

Screening will use the existing heel‑prick test to detect the rare genetic disorder shortly after birth, allowing early access to disease‑modifying therapies such as nusinersen, risdiplam and onasemnogene abeparvovec. Early treatment is considerably more effective before symptoms appear, potentially preventing severe muscle weakness, respiratory failure and death in infants with the most common form, SMA type 1.

The decision was based on an evidence review that concluded the test is clinically valuable and cost‑effective, and it will be rolled out across England without requiring additional invasive procedures for newborns.