Newborn Blood Spot Results Alpha (#479)

Added a short write up of the alpha work on the in-app content for the
blood spot results.

Author: LukeBlacklock-NHS

app/newborn-blood-spot-screening.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+layout: collection
+title: Newborn blood spot screening
+description: Digitising newborn blood spot notifications
+area: digital-best-start
+pagination:
+  data: collections.newborn-blood-spot-screening
+  reverse: true
+  size: 50
+permalink: "newborn-blood-spot-screening/{% if pagination.pageNumber > 0 %}page/{{ pagination.pageNumber + 1 }}{% endif %}/"
+---

app/newborn-blood-spot-screening/2026/04/newborn-blood-spot-notification/example-newborn-blood-spot-results-letter.png

@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+---
+title: Newborn Blood Spot Notifications – Alpha
+description: Digitising newborn screening results to improve access and reduce delays
+date: 2026-04-23
+tags:
+  - newborn blood spot screening
+  - Digital Child Health
+  - Digital Best Start
+  - infants
+author:
+  - Luke Blacklock
+
+---
+
+## The scope
+
+Digital Best Start in Life aims to provide joined up information and resources connected with each child's health record (in the NHS App) to help parents and carers access the support they need, and the wider vision for improving children’s health by making it easier for families to access information and use digital services. 
+
+As part of this, the Blood Spot Notifications pilot focuses on improving how parents receive newborn screening results. It aims to create a more accessible, timely and user-friendly experience, while reducing reliance on existing manual and paper-based processes.
+
+---
+
+## The aims
+
+### For parents
+
+- Improve the experience of receiving screening results
+- Make results easier to access
+- Reduce delays and anxiety while waiting for results
+- Remove reliance on postal letters
+
+### For the NHS
+
+- Reduce pressure on existing systems
+- Reduce costs associated with printing and sending letters
+- Reduce administrative workload linked to processing and managing letters
+
+---
+
+## The problem
+
+### Receiving and understanding the letter
+
+From research and stakeholder feedback, we found that:
+
+- Letters can be lost or overlooked
+- Content is not always easy to understand, particularly for families with different language needs
+- Health visitors often need to explain or translate results
+
+---
+
+## The proposal
+
+During Alpha, we recommend making screening results available directly in the NHS App, within the child’s profile.
+
+Parents would receive a simple notification when a “not suspected” result is ready to view, allowing them to benefit from a digitial first approach. 
+
+This approach:
+
+- Enables value to be delivered sooner
+- Reduces the reliance on paper copies
+- Provides a more consistent and joined-up digital experience for families inline with other NHS App features
+
+---
+
+## The journey
+
+We carried out research with 7 parents of infants under 12 months old to understand how screening results are currently communicated and how this could be improved.
+
+We explored three formats:
+
+
+- The existing printed letter
+- A digital version of the letter (message format)
+- A results page within the child’s record in the NHS App
+
+We also reviewed the national template for the “not suspected” letter used by Child Health Information Services (CHIS). This informed our initial digital prototypes, including:
+
+- Revised letter content for digital use
+- A structured results page within the NHS App
+
+These prototypes were tested side by side in research sessions. This allowed us to:
+
+- Compare how parents understood each format
+- Identify differences in preferences and behaviours
+- Understand what information parents look for first
+
+We used these insights to iterate the digital designs and make evidence-based recommendations for improving the existing letter. Content and layouts will continue to be tested in future rounds.
+
+
+![Sample NHS letter template for newborn blood spot screening results. The document includes placeholder fields for a baby’s details (name, NHS number, date of birth, address) and a date. A large box on the right reads “Sample copy for user research purposes only – does not contain any clinical information.” The letter explains that the baby is not thought to have any of the screened conditions and reminds readers that screening is not 100% accurate. It lists conditions tested for, including congenital hypothyroidism, cystic fibrosis, phenylketonuria, sickle cell disease, and others. The letter advises keeping the result in the child health record (“red book”), provides space for contact details of a health visitor, and includes links to NHS and GOV.UK websites for more information.](example-newborn-blood-spot-results-letter.png "The existing printed letter.")
+
+![NHS app screen showing newborn blood spot screening results for a baby. Test date 21 September 2025, with overall result “No conditions suspected.” A summary explains the baby is not thought to have any of the screened conditions and notes tests are not 100% accurate. A list of conditions (including cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and PKU) all show “Not suspected.” Bottom navigation shows Home, Messages, and Profile.](newborn-blood-spot-results-in-app.png "A screenshot of the mockup used for testing.")
+
+---
+
+## The results
+
+Parents consistently found the results page design easier to understand than both the existing letter and the digital letter format.
+
+The main reason for this was clarity and prioritisation of information. The results page:
+
+- Clearly states the outcome (“no further action needed”) at the top
+- Highlights the most important information first
+- Reduces the need to read or interpret long blocks of text or medical terminology
+
+Participants told us they would prefer to receive results in this format alone, rather than alongside a letter or message.

app/newborn-blood-spot-screening/2026/04/newborn-blood-spot-notification/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "layout": "post",
+  "eleventyNavigation": {
+    "parent": "Newborn blood spot screening"
+  }
+}

app/newborn-blood-spot-screening/2026/04/newborn-blood-spot-notification/newborn-blood-spot-results-in-app.png

@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ export default function (eleventyConfig) {
     'age-related-messaging',
     'check-childrens-vaccination-history',
     'antenatal-screening',
+    'newborn-blood-spot-screening',
     // Managing my health
     'cohorting-as-a-service'
   ]) {