Jesy Nelson, former member of the pop group Little Mix, has criticized the planned rollout of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) screening in England, calling the process a “postcode lottery” that is unfair to some newborns. Nelson, 35, began campaigning for universal newborn SMA screening following the diagnosis of the rare genetic condition in her twins, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe. SMA causes progressive muscle wastage and can be life-threatening if untreated.

Earlier this year, Nelson launched a petition advocating for widespread screening, which garnered more than 150,000 signatures. Subsequently, health authorities announced that SMA screening would be introduced as part of in-screening evaluations (ISE) from October 2026, ahead of the originally planned January 2027 date. However, the screening will initially cover only 72% of England, a limitation that Nelson says unfairly excludes infants based on where they live.

In an Instagram post, Nelson expressed cautious optimism about the earlier start date but condemned the partial implementation. She wrote that the disparity in coverage constitutes a “postcode lottery” that denies some babies the opportunity for early diagnosis and treatment. “Every baby deserves the same chance, every baby’s life matters,” she said. Nelson further described the situation as “playing with children’s lives” and reflected on how universal screening could have altered her own children’s outcomes.

Nelson is scheduled to attend a debate at Westminster to discuss her petition, accompanied by Giles Lomax, chief executive of the charity SMA UK. She has urged public support to ensure equitable access to SMA screening across all regions. “No baby should miss out because of their postcode. Let’s keep fighting until every newborn has the same opportunity,” she stated.

NHS officials have been approached for comment regarding the scope and timeline of the SMA screening rollout.