Health written question – answered at on 23 October 2012.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health
(1) what steps he has taken to publicise the UK National Screening Committee's public consultation on screening all pregnant women for group B streptococcus; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure consideration of all submissions made directly to the UK National Screening Committee during public consultations on screening for group B streptococcus; if he will ensure that the submissions and the response to them are made public; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what cost-benefit analyses his Department has conducted to compare the UK's current risk-based strategy for preventing group B streptococcus infection in newborn babies with screening approaches with other countries; if he will publish the results of any such analyses; and if he will make a statement;
(4) what recent consultation his Department has undertaken with other EU member states regarding the prevention of group B streptococcus infection in newborn babies.
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the national health service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy and supports implementation. Using research evidence, pilot programmes and economic evaluation, it assesses the evidence for programmes against a set of internationally recognised criteria.
In response to representations made to the Department on group B streptococcus (GBS) infection in newborn babies during the UK NSC's consultation period, the Department has taken opportunities, for example through correspondence, to publicise that the UK NSC's review of screening for GBS carriage in pregnancy is currently open in order to ensure the widest possible engagement from stakeholder organisations and individuals during the consultation period.
The UK NSC will consider all of the submissions made during the consultation at its
The Department has not undertaken a comparative assessment of the cost benefit of the UK's risk-based strategy for preventing GBS infection in newborn babies with screening approaches used in other western countries.
However, a National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment study, “Kaambwa B, Bryan S, Gray 3, Milner P, Daniels J, Khan K, Roberts T. Cost-effectiveness of rapid tests and other existing strategies for screening and management of early-onset group B streptococcus during labour. BJOG. 2010;117:1616-1627”, suggested that assessments of screening's cost-effectiveness in relation to current practice were subject to a great deal of uncertainty and were dependent on changes to clinical practice. A copy has been placed in the Library.
The Department has not held any consultations with any European Union member states on the prevention of GBS infection in newborn babies.
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