Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the consistency and effectiveness of (a) antenatal screening in detecting fetal cardiac conditions and (b) the efficacy of the Fetal anomaly screening programme handbook guidance in supporting early identification and treatment pathways for foetuses with cardiac abnormalities.

The Government recognises how worrying heart health can be for the families of babies and children. The NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme (FASP) recommends the offer of an ultrasound scan which is performed between 18+0 to 20+6 weeks to screen for 11 physical conditions, including serious cardiac anomalies.

Coverage of the foetal anomaly ultrasound for the 2024/25 screening year was high, at 98%. As of 2020/21, the proportion of women who had an unexpected finding suspected or confirmed in the baby at the 20-week screening scan and who were then referred within the timeline was 76.8% for local referrals, those seen within three days of screening scan, and 85.2% for tertiary referrals, those seen with five days of screening scan. This ensures women with a suspected or confirmed unexpected finding are referred in a timely manner and receive timely intervention where appropriate. Minimum screening standards data is collected against the 20-week scan, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fetal-anomaly-screening-programme-standards/fetal-anomaly-screening-standards-valid-for-data-collected-from-1-april-2022

NHS England is aware that there is geographical variation in antenatal cardiac detections and it is working with The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Services and the Screening Quality Assurance Service to address the variation, with further information about both services available at the following two links:

https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/about/ncardrs

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-population-screening-quality-assurance

NHS England also has a task and finish group looking at quality improvement in this area.

The NHS FASP handbook is a recommended guidance document for providers offering NHS FASP screening with the main aim of supporting healthcare professionals in delivering NHS FASP screening. This includes early identification of screened for conditions. NHS England FASP do not cover treatment pathways.

Additionally, NHS FASP provides an e-learning package with recommended timescales for completion for relevant healthcare professionals involved in the offer of NHS FASP screening, once every 24 months for ultrasound practitioners. This e-learning package is available at the following link:

https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/Catalogue/Index?HierarchyId=0_37210&programmeId=37210