Nottinghamshire families left unaware of babies’ blood test results in second NHS error

Hundreds of families in Nottinghamshire have potentially been left unaware of whether their babies may be carriers of certain genetic blood disorders, the second such NHS error to come to light since the start of this year.

About 300 families whose children were born between 2004 and September 2024 in Bassetlaw and mid-Nottinghamshire were identified by the NHS as being affected.

Changes in how genetic testing results were communicated to families meant they may not have been informed of whether their child was a carrier of a trait for sickle cell disease or for an unusual haemoglobin gene.

NHS England said it has contacted the families affected directly by letter so that they understand what being a carrier means for them and their children.

The NHS has also said that since the error, changes have been made to the way blood results are communicated within the area to make it more robust.

In January, the Guardian reported that an error by the NHS led to more than 800 families in Derbyshire not receiving the results of a heel prick test given to babies after birth, meaning they did not know whether their child was a carrier of a trait for sickle cell disease or for an unusual haemoglobin gene. NHS officials apologised “wholeheartedly” to the families affected, saying the error “shouldn’t have happened” and that an investigation had been launched.

John James, the chief executive of the Sickle Cell Society, said: “It is unacceptable that, once again, families have not been informed of their children’s newborn screening results. The fact that this issue has now emerged in another area, over a 20-year period, highlights a catastrophic weakness in the NHS’s system for communicating test results – with distressing consequences for parents and individuals who remain unaware of this vital information.

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Source: The Guardian, 11 May 2025