Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme (NBS)
Build confidence in newborn blood spot screening from conversation about informed choice to accurate card completion and high-quality heel prick sampling. Includes dedicated learning for teams involved in severe combined immunodeficiency screening.
End-to-end essentials of newborn blood spot screening
Who is this NBS course for?
- Midwives
- Neonatal nurses
- Maternity nurses
- Maternity support workers
- Heel prick takers
- Newborn screening staff
- Screening practitioners
- Severe Combined Immunodeficiency screening teams
What’s on this page?
Introduction to the Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme (NBS)
This course introduces the Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme and the practical steps involved in collecting and documenting a heel prick blood spot sample.
You’ll cover what the programme screens for, how results support early identification, referral and treatment, and how to reduce avoidable repeat samples by completing the blood spot card accurately and taking a good-quality sample.
The course also includes a Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) focused module for professionals working in SCID screening areas, including what outcomes may mean and where parents can find support.
After completing this course, you should be able to:
- Explain the purpose of newborn blood spot screening and why early identification matters.
- List the conditions covered, including severe combined immunodeficiency, cystic fibrosis, congenital hypothyroidism and the inherited metabolic disorders included in the programme.
- Apply informed choice principles when supporting parents around screening.
- Complete the newborn blood spot card accurately and recognise what can trigger avoidable repeat samples.
- Describe what “residual blood spots” are and outline potential further uses such as quality assurance and research.
You can also:
- Apply practical steps to collect a good-quality blood spot sample and explain why quality matters.
- For severe combined immunodeficiency screening areas, describe SCID screening, evaluation and what screening outcomes may indicate.
Course features
- Four topic modules: conditions, card completion, sample-taking, and Severe Combined Immunodeficiency.
- Interactive learning on the blood spot card, exploring each field and why it’s needed.
- Practical sample-taking guidance supported by videos and an animation showing the laboratory perspective.
- Built-in knowledge checks at the end of modules (with minimum correct answers required to complete).
- Parent perspective included via an interview with a mother of an affected child.
Why choose eIntegrity?
Learn the end-to-end essentials of newborn blood spot screening: what’s being screened for, how sampling works, and what “good practice” looks like.
Reduce avoidable repeat samples by focusing on accurate card completion and sample quality.
Learn in a practical, visual way with interactive elements, videos and animations.
Support consistent practice across teams – including those involved in SCID screening where relevant.
Course content overview
This course is structured around the core tasks and decisions involved in newborn blood spot screening. It covers what conditions are included in the programme, how to complete the blood spot card correctly, and how to collect a good-quality sample – plus a focused severe combined immunodeficiency module for professionals working in SCID screening areas.
- Conditions overview: what is screened for, and the causes/incidence/effects/treatment for each condition covered.
- Informed choice and parent perspective: supporting conversations about screening, including a parent interview.
- Blood spot card and residual blood spots: completing mandatory fields correctly, avoiding avoidable repeats, and what happens after screening (including potential QA/research uses).
- Sample-taking and severe combined immunodeficiency: practical sampling guidance with multimedia support, plus SCID screening content including outcomes and parent support.
Who developed this course?
The Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme (NBS) plays a vital role in identifying rare but serious conditions early in life through a high‑quality, population‑based screening approach. Building on long‑established foundations within the NHS antenatal and newborn screening system, the NBS programme ensures that all babies in England are offered timely testing for ten conditions, Overseen by NHS England and supported by elearning for healthcare (elfh) training resources, and guided by the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee, the programme ensures consistent standards and safe, evidence‑based practice across every stage of screening.
Our online NBS modules
- Improving Blood Spot Quality
- NBS Conditions e‑learning
- Blood Spot Card and Residual Blood Spots
- Newborn Blood Spot Failsafe Solution (NBSFS) Videos
- SCT (Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia) e‑learning
Access 24/7
The Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme (NBS) course is delivered entirely online, giving you the flexibility to learn at home, on the ward or between clinical duties. Each session is short, focused and practical, allowing you to build skills in informed choice conversations, accurate card completion and high‑quality heel‑prick sampling without disrupting a busy schedule.
With modules typically designed to be completed in manageable bursts, you can dip in whenever you need a refresher—whether that’s revisiting the conditions screened for, reviewing the sampling technique or checking how to avoid avoidable repeat samples. A dedicated Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) module also supports professionals working in SCID screening areas, helping you understand outcomes and direct parents towards further support.
Once you’ve completed the course or individual sessions, you can download a completion certificate from the eIntegrity Hub as a record of your learning. While the course does not offer formal CPD accreditation, the certificate can still be retained as evidence of ongoing professional development for your portfolio or to meet local training requirements.
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Comparing the cost of newborn blood spot screening training
Traditional newborn‑screening training can be expensive, especially when delivered through in‑person workshops or practical skills sessions that require travel and time away from clinical duties. With the Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme (NBS) course, you gain online access to a complete set of focused, practical modules for one clear subscription fee. This makes developing your skills in informed choice, card completion and high‑quality heel‑prick sampling far more predictable and cost‑effective than arranging multiple face‑to‑face training days.
How to get started
Simply enrol through the eIntegrity platform to begin working through the NBS modules at your own pace. Each session is designed to be short and manageable, covering key areas such as the conditions screened for, accurate blood spot card completion, taking a good‑quality sample and the dedicated Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) module for relevant regions. This structure makes it easy to fit learning around busy maternity and neonatal workloads.
Who is this programme suitable for?
This course is designed for all health and care professionals who need to This course is designed for a wide range of professionals involved in newborn blood spot screening, including:
- Midwives
- Neonatal nurses
- Maternity nurses
- Maternity support workers
- Heel‑prick takers
- Newborn screening staff
- Screening practitioners
- SCID screening teams
The programme supports anyone looking to strengthen their understanding of the NBS pathway—from explaining screening to parents and supporting informed choice, to reducing avoidable repeats through accurate card completion and good‑quality sampling. Whether you are new to newborn screening or refreshing your knowledge, the NBS course provides clear, practical learning that supports safe, consistent national practice.
