The Patient Centric Sampling Interest Group (PCSIG) will be hosting a national webinar on Tuesday 2 June 2026 at 2pm in response to unprecedented interest in UHMBT’s trial of TAP - a new and painless method of blood sampling for people with learning disabilities and needle phobia.
The webinar has been organised by Dr Karen Perkins, Principal Clinical Scientist at UHMBT, following a huge response to recent publicity about the TAP blood sampling project.
Clinical teams, patient groups and NHS organisations from across the country have contacted Karen and the team seeking advice on how the blood sampling approach could be adopted locally and nationally.
Karen said: “We have been overwhelmed by the level of interest and support. We have decided to host the webinar to share our learning openly, answer questions and capture the clear desire that exists, to implement capillary sampling methods across the healthcare system.”
The webinar will feature a short overview of the TAP initiative and the process developed at UHMBT, followed by an extended question and answer session.
It will be chaired and hosted by Neil Spooner from Patient Centric Sampling Interest Group - PCSIG, a not-for-profit organisation focussed on patient-centred diagnostic pathways, with whom the team has previously worked on sharing learning from the pilot phase of the project.
Karen added: “This is a fantastic opportunity to build national momentum. TAP is about addressing significant health inequalities and rethinking how blood sciences services are delivered for patients who are currently underserved.”
The event will take place on the PCSIG online platform on Tuesday 2 June 2026 at 2pm.
To register, please visit: Improving access to blood tests for people with learning disabilities: FAQs, guidance and next steps