Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the level of screening for infectious diseases in pregnant women; and whether he plans to increase the level of that screening in (a) West Midlands and (b) Coventry.

There has been a steady rise in coverage in the National Health Service Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy Screening programme, from 96% in 2010 to 99% in 2016 in England.

Coverage for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust was 99.4% (5,960/5,994), both attaining the achievable level for a screening programme (acceptable threshold greater than or equal to 95% / achievable threshold greater than or equal to 99%).

NHS England is responsible for commissioning antenatal screening services to meet programme standards including coverage. NHS England is working with providers to help identify and address any issues and is committed to improving coverage and reducing morbidity from this condition. It is important to note that the aim of antenatal screening is not to promote uptake but to ensure that eligible women are able to make an informed choice as to whether to participate in screening or not.