What steps he is taking to ensure that information on Group B Streptococcus is available to NHS patients.

I know this is a subject about which the hon. Lady cares greatly. I would be very happy to meet her and to bring together the people I work with from Public Health England to see how we can make the best of this new leaflet and make sure it is the best and most important Christmas present.

I thank the Minister—he has anticipated my question. I reassert that, on average, two babies die each month from complications relating to group B strep. Awareness of the effects of that infection is incredibly low. Will the Minister meet me and Group B Strep Support to discuss how we can get this leaflet to mums-to-be at the earliest possible stage?

I thank my parliamentary neighbour for that question. Public Health England is one of the most effective arm’s length bodies with which we work in Government, and it will be working with commissioners and trusts across our country to make sure that this new information is out there with pregnant mums and the most at-risk groups. Members of Parliament have an important role to play with local commissioners and trusts, and I know my hon. Friend will play her part in that.

I welcome the Government’s focus on reducing stillbirths, and I welcome the maternity safety strategy. I particularly welcome this focus on group B strep. Will the Minister outline how he is working locally with hospitals such as Southampton to make sure they are aware of this new focus?

As the Secretary of State has set out, our ambition is for the NHS to be the safest place in the world to give birth. Information on prevention and the implications of a group B streptococcus infection are available on the NHS Choices website. Just today, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists published a new patient information leaflet that, from the new year, will be given to all pregnant women for the first time. Because it is Christmas, I have a copy here for the hon. Lady. [Interruption.] I see she has one, too.

All those involved in commissioning or providing maternity services are expected to be fully aware of the importance of having regard to the most current clinical standards, and that trusts’ local guidance is amended accordingly through internal governance procedures.

Health Education England has produced and continues to develop sepsis educational resources for healthcare professionals. This includes a number of resources to support the learning on sepsis recognition and management across the system in both primary and secondary care.

The principal pathogen of potential concern in neonatal sepsis is Group B Streptococcus (GBS). Following the UK National Screening Committee’s meeting in February 2017, the Government accepted the Committee’s recommendation that a population based screening programme for GBS carriage should not be offered. However, the Chief Scientific Advisor recommended that the National Institute for Health Research should commission a clinical trial to compare universal screening for Group B Streptococcus against usual-risk based care. This has been approved and the trial is expected to complete around the end of 2021.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has published guidance for obstetricians, midwives and neonatologists on the prevention of early-onset (less than seven days of age) neonatal Group B streptococcal disease and for the information to be provided to women, their partners and families. It has also produced an information leaflet for parents-to-be about GBS. Information on GBS is also included in the NHS Pregnancy Book which is given free to all first time pregnant women.

Following the United Kingdom National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC’s) meeting in February 2017, the Government accepted the UK NSC’s recommendation that a population based screening programme for Group B streptococcal (GBS) carriage should not be offered. This is because there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the benefits to be gained from screening would outweigh the harms.

As screening for GBS is not recommended, data as requested is not collected. The Chief Scientific Advisor has recommended that the National Institute of Health Research should commission a clinical trial to compare universal screening for GBS against usual-risk based care. This is to provide better quality evidence to assess the clinical effectiveness, benefits and harms of a screening programme.

Information on GBS in pregnancy can be found on the NHS Choices which can be accessed here:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/pregnancy-infections.aspx

Following the United Kingdom National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC’s) meeting in February 2017, the Government accepted the UK NSC’s recommendation that a population based screening programme for Group B streptococcal (GBS) carriage should not be offered. This is because there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the benefits to be gained from screening would outweigh the harms.

As screening for GBS is not recommended, data as requested is not collected. The Chief Scientific Advisor has recommended that the National Institute of Health Research should commission a clinical trial to compare universal screening for GBS against usual-risk based care. This is to provide better quality evidence to assess the clinical effectiveness, benefits and harms of a screening programme.

Information on GBS in pregnancy can be found on the NHS Choices which can be accessed here:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/pregnancy-infections.aspx

Following the United Kingdom National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC’s) meeting in February 2017, the Government accepted the UK NSC’s recommendation that a population based screening programme for Group B streptococcal (GBS) carriage should not be offered. This is because there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the benefits to be gained from screening would outweigh the harms.

As screening for GBS is not recommended, data as requested is not collected. The Chief Scientific Advisor has recommended that the National Institute of Health Research should commission a clinical trial to compare universal screening for GBS against usual-risk based care. This is to provide better quality evidence to assess the clinical effectiveness, benefits and harms of a screening programme.

Information on GBS in pregnancy can be found on the NHS Choices which can be accessed here:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/pregnancy-infections.aspx

Public Health England does not hold data on how many people were diagnosed each year with group B streptococcus colonisation.

Surveillance data collected from routine laboratory reporting outlining the numbers of patient episodes with group B streptococcus identified from blood (bacteraemia) in people of all ages in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for years 2011- 2015 can be found in the following table:

Source: Health Protection Report

The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy, using research evidence, pilot programmes and economic evaluation; it assesses the evidence for programmes against a set of internationally recognised criteria. Guidance on early onset neonatal Group B Streptococcus (GBS) and other neonatal disease is provided by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Following the UK NSC’s meeting in February 2017, the Minister accepted the UK NSC’s recommendation that a population based screening programme for GBS carriage should not be offered. This is because there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the benefits to be gained from screening would outweigh the harms.

Although a population screening programme has not been recommended, the Chief Scientific Advisor recommended that the National Institute of Health Research should commission a clinical trial to compare universal screening for GBS against usual-risk based care. The Minister approved this and it is expected that the trial will provide better quality evidence to assess the clinical effectiveness, benefits and harms of a screening programme.

The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy, using research evidence, pilot programmes and economic evaluation; it assesses the evidence for programmes against a set of internationally recognised criteria. Guidance on early onset neonatal Group B Streptococcus (GBS) and other neonatal disease is provided by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Following the UK NSC’s meeting in February 2017, the Minister accepted the UK NSC’s recommendation that a population based screening programme for GBS carriage should not be offered. This is because there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the benefits to be gained from screening would outweigh the harms.

Although a population screening programme has not been recommended, the Chief Scientific Advisor recommended that the National Institute of Health Research should commission a clinical trial to compare universal screening for GBS against usual-risk based care. The Minister approved this and it is expected that the trial will provide better quality evidence to assess the clinical effectiveness, benefits and harms of a screening programme.

The National Institute for Health Research will launch the expression of interest for the trial to compare universal screening for Group B strep carriage in late pregnancy with usual risk-based care shortly. Following a full Health Technology Assessment board commissioning process, it is anticipated that the pilot phase of the trial will start at the beginning of 2019.

The trial to compare universal screening for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) carriage in late pregnancy with usual risk-based care is not expected to be complete until the end of 2021 at the earliest. We anticipate that the UK National Screening Committee’s scheduled triennial review on GBS will not commence until the findings of the trial are known.

If his Department will take steps to introduce the enriched culture medium test for group B streptococcus for pregnant women; and if he will make a statement.

As my right hon. Friend will be aware, the UK National Screening Committee is reviewing the evidence for antenatal screening, including the use of enriched culture medium tests for group B streptococcus, following a public consultation. I understand that its recommendation will be published very soon, and I assure him that I will consider the recommendation very carefully and write to him with my view.

My hon. Friend will be aware from his reading of the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit report that the incidence of group B strep has increased by 30% over the last 15 years. Does he agree that this matter has gone on for far too long, and that the Government must come to a conclusion to prevent further tragedies?

My right hon. Friend will be aware that Public Health England published a paper in June 2015 precisely on this subject, but it concluded that within the currently accepted clinical guidelines there are no clinical indicators for testing women using enriched culture medium methods. This test is not, therefore, recommended for routine use at present.