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 ensure that pre-eclampsia is diagnosed in the early stages of pregnancy.

Hypertension or high blood pressure during pregnancy (known as pre-eclampsia) is the most common medical problem that is encountered in pregnancy. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance, ‘Hypertension in pregnancy: diagnosis and management’, is aimed at healthcare professionals and women who develop hypertension during pregnancy. The guidance aims to improve care during pregnancy, labour and birth for women and their babies.

Most clinical activity relating to pre-eclampsia is focused on diagnosing the condition as early as possible and managing the condition when it has been identified. NHS England expects providers of maternity care to pay due regard to NICE guidelines on diagnosing and managing pre-eclampsia. These are set out at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg107

There are currently plans to review the relevant NICE guidelines, with a consultation expected between February and March 2019 on the following recommendations:

- management of pregnancy with chronic hypertension;

- management of pregnancy with gestational hypertension;

- management of pregnancy with pre-eclampsia;

- breastfeeding; and

- advice and follow-up care at transfer to community care.

We would encourage relevant stakeholders to contribute to this consultation. Publication of any update to these recommendations is expected in June 2019.