NHS Golden Jubilee-led genetic test shortlisted for award

The Neonatal Gentamicin Point of Care Testing (POCT) programme, developed in Scotland, has been shortlisted for the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards 2026 in the Acute Sector Innovation of the Year category.

Led by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), hosted at NHS Golden Jubilee, the programme uses a rapid genetic test to identify babies at risk of gentamicin-induced hearing loss before antibiotic treatment begins.

Katie Cuthbertson, national director at the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, said: "Being shortlisted for an HSJ Award is fantastic recognition of the dedication and expertise of colleagues from across NHS Scotland who have worked together to make this innovation a reality.

"This programme is helping us move from reacting to harm after it happens to preventing it before it occurs.

"A simple bedside test can help protect a child from lifelong hearing loss while ensuring they still receive urgent treatment without delay.

"The impact of hearing loss can extend far beyond childhood, potentially affecting communication, education, wellbeing and quality of life.

"By identifying risk at the point of treatment, we can improve outcomes for babies and families.

"This is a brilliant example of how innovation, collaboration and personalised medicine can improve patient care on a national scale."

The programme is the first nationally coordinated bedside pharmacogenetic prescribing pathway in acute neonatal care.

It focuses on newborns with suspected serious infections, many of whom are treated with gentamicin, a commonly used aminoglycoside antibiotic.

Around 80 to 90% of babies admitted to specialist neonatal care receive gentamicin for suspected sepsis.

However, one in 500 babies carries a rare genetic variant that puts them at risk of permanent hearing loss if treated with aminoglycosides.

The test uses a cheek swab to deliver results in around 26 minutes.

If the variant is present, clinicians can prescribe an alternative antibiotic that is just as effective, avoiding the risk of hearing damage without delaying care.

More than 1300 babies across Scotland have already been tested through the programme.

One positive test has already led to an alternative treatment that is believed to have prevented lifelong deafness.

National modelling by the Scottish Health Technologies Group estimates the programme could save the NHS more than £199,000 and deliver wider societal benefits worth more than £14.5 million in the next five years.

The programme is part of the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway, a Scottish Government-funded initiative delivered by NHS Golden Jubilee’s Centre for Sustainable Delivery.

It was developed in partnership with Public Services Delivery Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Public Health Scotland, and territorial NHS Boards.

The pathway was designed and implemented by a multidisciplinary team of neonatal clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, genomics experts, and implementation specialists.

It is being rolled out across all 11 NHS Scotland Health Boards with neonatal units, ensuring equal access to personalised medicine for babies regardless of location.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was the first board to implement the pathway.

The programme is also helping establish Scotland as a leader in precision medicine.

By successfully integrating genomic testing into acute neonatal care, it provides a model for broader adoption of personalised prescribing across the NHS.

The HSJ Awards are among the most respected healthcare awards in the UK, recognising teams and organisations for outstanding improvements in patient care.

The 2026 shortlist highlights both the innovation behind the neonatal programme and its real-world impact on patients and families.

Winners of the HSJ Awards 2026 will be announced at a ceremony on November 19.