Life saving screening project wins award
The NHS Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme, run by PHE, won an award this week for an IT project that helps ensure all newborns with problems are treated quickly.
The project, which was set up with Northgate Public Services, will help to make sure that all babies get the heel prick test early enough in their life so that doctors can identify any problems and start treatment to prevent harm or even death.
The team won the top prize for ‘Efficiency in Clinical Support Services’ and were congratulated by judges who said that the project was ‘an innovative, yet simple solution with national and local benefits for the NHS and social care while providing short and long term benefits to babies and their families.’
Professor Kevin Fenton, Director of Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England said:
The acknowledgment by judges at the HSJ (Health Service Journal) of the first class work that has been carried out through this project goes a long way to making sure that this new system is taken up by other organisations.
Dr Anne Mackie, Director of Programmes at the UK National Screening Committee said:
This will ensure that a greater number of babies with problems are identified at the earliest possible stage which will help doctors to deliver faster and more effective treatment.
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