Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the capacity of the UK National Screening Committee to review new rare conditions for inclusion in a national newborn heel prick screening programme.

The UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) remit was expanded last year to consider targeted, and risk stratified screening proposals, in addition to covering population screening programmes. A recruitment campaign is ongoing to expand capacity to be able to manage the increased volume of work expected. In terms of reviewing the evidence for newborn blood spot conditions the UK NSC has an annual call mechanism where proposals to screen for new topics can be submitted. The annual call for 2024 will open in July.