A painless new form of blood sampling for people with learning disabilities and needle phobia pioneered by UHMBT has been honoured as a regional winner in the NHS Excellence Awards 2026.
The awards scheme is run by and for the NHS, shining a light on local projects and teams that are making a real difference to patients and communities, delivering on the ambitions of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan and inspiring others to adopt innovative approaches.
UHMBT has won the regional Quality Improvement Award and will represent the North West of England in the national final of the NHS Excellence Awards. The awards recognise outstanding work across ten categories, celebrating innovation and impact in health and care
Instigated by Karen Perkins, Principal Clinical Scientist for UHMBT, Touch‑Activated Phlebotomy (TAP) capillary sampling offers patients a pain-free alternative to traditional blood testing.
The TAP device sticks to the patient’s upper arm and uses a gentle vacuum to draw a small capillary blood sample without the use of needles. This simple, non‑invasive method enables patients to have essential blood tests quickly, comfortably and in settings that suit them, including clinics, GP surgeries or their own homes.
As the first NHS Trust in the country to adopt TAP capillary sampling specifically for people with learning disabilities and needle phobia, UHMBT is reshaping what equitable diagnostic access looks like.
Karen Perkins describes the technology as “a safe, effective alternative for patients who can’t tolerate venepuncture” and emphasises its role in providing “quickly, comfortably and with dignity” the tests patients need. One parent of a child with learning disabilities said simply: “It was all traumatic until capillary sampling.”
The innovation also supports the NHS CORE20PLUS5 ambition to remove barriers to care for underserved populations.
Since April 2025, UHMBT has supported nearly 50 patients who previously could not tolerate venepuncture, achieving successful blood collection in almost every case.
In a focused pilot of 19 individuals with a history of repeated failed blood tests, all but one provided usable samples, resulting in critical diagnoses such as hypothyroidism and diabetes that had gone undetected for years.
The transformation in patient experience is profound. Abi, aged 15 with Down’s Syndrome, requires regular thyroid monitoring. Her mother described the years before TAP as filled with “hours we spent trying social stories, practising on dolls and desensitising her.” Despite all this, blood tests remained traumatic. After TAP, the change was dramatic: “Abi has talked about TAP saying it was ‘great fun’ and has proudly shown her arm to her friends.” Abi now looks forward to her health checks, something her family “never thought possible.”
Lucy, aged 16, who has severe learning disabilities and autism, had endured years of failed attempts, sedation and even general anaesthetic. Her mother explained: “The fear of your child dying never goes away. Now I know I can keep her well.” TAP provided the first consistent, trauma‑free route to blood monitoring: “It gives reassurance that Lucy is well and lays the foundation for regular blood tests.”
The initiative’s impact is now extending nationally. Six NHS Trusts have requested UHMBT’s data and UK MedLab has established a national special interest group to develop best‑practice guidance. UHMBT is leading what Karen calls “a generational change in how we deliver blood sciences.”
Watch a video on the TAP initiative.
You can read more about the awards scheme on the NHS England website.