Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has agreed to examine adding metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) to the infant heel prick test. The commitment came during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday after an appeal from DUP MP for Upper Bann, Carla Lockhart.

Teddy Johnson, a boy from Portadown in Northern Ireland, died last week in hospital. He suffered from MLD, a condition that affects the brain and leads to loss of physical and mental abilities.

Lockhart noted that a treatment exists in the UK and is available at Manchester Royal Children's Hospital. She stated the treatment works only if the condition is found at birth through the heel prick test, which screens for rare disorders.

The UK screening committee recently advised against including MLD in the test. Lockhart argued that early detection could prevent premature deaths like Teddy's.

Lockhart first addressed MLD in the House of Commons before Teddy's death. She urged Starmer to act in memory of affected children.

Starmer expressed sadness over Teddy's passing and offered condolences to the family. He confirmed he would ensure a fresh review based on the details provided.