Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information on neonatal sepsis is given to mothers with risk factors present; and what protocols are in place to ensure that information is provided to those mothers.
Answered by Philip Dunne
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.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the number of mothers screened for the presence of pathogens associated with neonatal sepsis, such as Group B streptococcal disease, in England in (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-16 and (c) 2016-17.
Answered by Philip Dunne
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
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to make mothers aware of antenatal screening for the presence of pathogens associated with neonatal sepsis, such as Group B streptococcal disease.
Answered by Philip Dunne
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
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information healthcare professionals are advised to give mothers with risk factors of neonatal sepsis regarding the need for screening for the presence of pathogens associated with neonatal sepsis.
Answered by Philip Dunne
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.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the NHS of treating carbon monoxide poisoning in the last 12 months.
Answered by Steve Brine
The Department has not made an estimate of the cost to the National Health Service of treating carbon monoxide poisoning in the last 12 months. The 2016-17 annual report of the Cross-Government Group on Gas Safety and Carbon Monoxide is being prepared and will be published on the Health and Safety Executive website:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/cross-government-group.htm
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been admitted to hospital as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in (a) England and (b) each English region in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The number of people attending accident and emergency departments (A&E) as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning is not available.
Information available on all finished admission episodes with carbon monoxide poisoning including those admitted via A&E for the last 10 years for England and by region is attached.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people attended accident and emergency departments as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in (a) England and (b) each English region in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The number of people attending accident and emergency departments (A&E) as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning is not available.
Information available on all finished admission episodes with carbon monoxide poisoning including those admitted via A&E for the last 10 years for England and by region is attached.
Asked by: Eddie Hughes (Conservative - Walsall North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases of neonatal (a) sepsis, (b) meningitis and (c) pneumonia have been treated in NHS hospitals in each region in the last five years.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The information requested is attached.