Story perspectives

Wales Declines Routine Newborn SMA Screening as England Adopts

8/10/2026

Summary

Story summary

Welsh government will not introduce routine newborn SMA screening.
Parents say Wales is left behind while England adopts SMA screening and Scotland trials it.
Warren Davies, whose three-year-old daughter Ophelia-May has SMA type 2, accused the Welsh government of “playing God” for not acting.
The Welsh government said it follows National Screening Committee guidance that does not recommend routine SMA screening, a policy also absent in Northern Ireland.

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Story summary

Welsh government will not introduce routine newborn SMA screening.
Parents say Wales is left behind while England adopts SMA screening and Scotland trials it.
Warren Davies, whose three-year-old daughter Ophelia-May has SMA type 2, accused the Welsh government of “playing God” for not acting.
The Welsh government said it follows National Screening Committee guidance that does not recommend routine SMA screening, a policy also absent in Northern Ireland.