Newborn screening project receives funding for electronic data trial

Public Health England has confirmed the allocation of funding to a project that will trial electronic results sharing in newborn screening programmes.

These programmes are being conducted and funded as part of a consortium of organisations trialling the electronic sharing of screening results as a means of reducing delays and minimising the risk of data errors.

It also supports the rapid progression from paper-based systems for patient notes to integrated digital care records, tying in with previously-stated government aims of ensuring the NHS is completely paperless by 2018.

By eliminating the need to manually transfer and repeatedly input data, safer, consistent and more effective treatment plans can be implemented, while the risk of human error is greatly minimised.

Dr Anne Mackie, director of programmes for the UK National Screening Committee, said the projects "will ultimately improve the clinical experience for the child, their family and the midwives, doctors and nurses involved, while providing a safer and more robust method for sharing important patient information".