NHS England is implementing a nationwide improvement for qualifying perinatal event notifications, the Submit a Perinatal Event Notification (SPEN) portal. This system will take the place of the separate reporting platforms currently in use by NHS Resolution’s Early Notification Scheme, MNSI, and MBRRACE-UK.
The development of the SPEN portal aims to make the reporting process simpler and faster, as well as to ensure greater accuracy in the data provided. With a central entry point, notifications submitted for one organisation will be automatically shared with others, helping to reduce duplication and streamline information flow.
What this means for Early Notification referrals
SPEN is going live as part of a phased release schedule from 3 September to early November 2025, as follows:
Phase 1: 03/09/2025
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
- Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
- Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Barts Health Trust
- Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
Phase 2: 22/09/2025
- London region
Phase 3: 06/10/2025
- North East and Yorkshire, South West
Phase 4: 20/10/2025
- South East, East of England
Phase 5: 03/11/2025
- North West, Midlands
During the transition to SPEN, Early Notification Scheme eligible cases should continue to be referred via NHS Resolution’s claims reporting wizard, until your Trust has been onboarded to the SPEN portal. When onboarded, your Trust should no longer report cases to the Early Notification Scheme via the claims reporting wizard.
Once your Trust is onboarded to the SPEN portal
From your designated SPEN go-live date, all new Early Notification Scheme referrals must be submitted through the SPEN portal.
Referrals sent to the NHS Resolution’s claims reporting wizard after this date will not be processed, and will be automatically rejected.
For any existing referrals or ongoing investigations, please continue to use NHS Resolution’s Claims Management System (CMS).
If your Trust has not yet been onboarded to SPEN
Please keep submitting Early Notification referrals through the existing NHS Resolution’s claims reporting wizard for now.
NHS Resolution’s Early Notification team is working with NHS England and other national partners to ensure that the move to SPEN runs smoothly and is fully supported. Guidance and support for onboarding will be provided by NHS England before any changes to your reporting process take effect.
For any enquiries relating to any Early Notification referrals during this period, or if you need support with NHS Resolution’s Early Notification Scheme submissions, please reach out to the team at nhsr.enteam@nhs.net.
