Jesy Nelson ‘proud’ as NHS announces rollout of SMA screening for newborns

Former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson has said she is “proud” of having reached a “major milestone” as a rollout of screenings for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is to begin earlier than expected.

The singer, 34, campaigned for all newborn babies to be screened for SMA after her twins, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson, were diagnosed with the rare condition, which causes progressive muscle wastage.

In a letter addressed to Nelson and Giles Lomax, the chief executive of the charity SMA UK, health secretary Wes Streeting confirmed that screenings will be rolled out earlier than planned and begin as part of in-screening evaluations (ISE) from October 2026 instead of January 2027.

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Source: The Independent, 2 April 2026