• £1.21m lab at University Hospital Wales to expand newborn screening in Wales.
• £529,000 extra to add Hereditary Tyrosinemia Type 1 to the 9 conditions already screened for.
• Investment will mean Wales is in a position to explore taking part in the evaluation, and any potential future national screening, for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID).
Babies born in Wales will be screened for more conditions in the future thanks to a £1.21 million investment for a new laboratory facility announced today.
The All-Wales Newborn Bloodspot Screening Service will be expanded through a new biochemistry laboratory at University Hospital Wales (UHW) announced today by the Welsh Government. An additional £529,000 has also been agreed to expand newborn screening to cover testing for Hereditary Tyrosinemia Type 1.
The newborn screening programme currently screens all babies born in Wales (around 28,000 a year) for 9 rare but serious diseases such as cystic fibrosis and congenital hypothyroidism. The service’s current testing facilities however are not large enough to introduce new tests.
The new lab will provide sufficient space and infrastructure to begin testing for Hereditary Tyrosinemia Type 1, as recommended by the UK National Screening Committee, and research and tests recommended in the future. For instance - the committee is currently developing evidence and evaluating whether Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID) should be included as part of the NBS screening programmes across the UK.
Babies who test positive for screened-for conditions can then be treated early, improving their health and, in some cases, preventing severe disability or even death.
The test involves taking a small sample of blood from the baby’s heel, ideally on days 4 to 6 of the baby’s life. The test is usually carried out by a midwife and is part of routine post-natal care.
Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health, Nerys Evans, said:
This new lab will modernise and futureproof our newborn screening infrastructure in Wales. We know that screening saves lives and this development means we’ll be well placed to respond to future screening developments and recommendations.
This investment underlines our government’s clear commitment to provide every child in Wales the best start in life.
Dr Sikha de Souza, Public Health Consultant for Public Health Wales said:
Newborn blood spot screening helps to give babies the best start in life. By detecting serious health conditions shortly after birth, it allows early treatment that can improve outcomes and prevent lifelong complications. This new laboratory facility is a welcome addition to our newborn blood spot screening programme in Wales.