Parents' Stories and Service Evaluation in Antenatal Screening

The Sickle Cell Society and the UK Thalassaemia Society in association with the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme present a free conference for all health professionals working in antenatal care and screening, service users of the screening programme and other stakeholders.

This conference chaired by Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu will discuss the results of a two year collaborative project between the NHS Screening Programme and the two patient Societies which investigated the causes of late offers of antenatal screening and prenatal diagnosis in couples at risk of having a child with sickle cell or thalassaemia. We will present the personal stories of women and couples who have recent experience of the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme as well as a clinical audit and service evaluation conducted as part of the work.

Understanding 'Parents' Stories' is essential if the Screening Programme is to build a service that meets user needs and meets the programme objectives. This work has already been used to inform new standards and guidelines and public and professional educational resources. The conference invites service providers and users of the Screening Programme to join us as we share the learning and recommendations from the project and discuss more ways to provide a screening service that more adequately meets the needs of the public for whom it was established.