Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions Ministers of his Department have had with the group B streptococcus support group on testing for that infection.

My Rt. hon. Friend the former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health (Ben Gummer) met representatives from the charity Group B Strep Support (GBSS) and my Rt. hon. Friend, the Member for Mid Sussex (Sir Nicholas Soames), patron of GBSS to discuss group B streptococcus (GBS) in December 2015.

The Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser held two workshops on 19 September and 20 October this year with leading experts from a wide range of organisations, including the charity GBSS to agree workable research questions on early-onset GBS to improve knowledge of the infection. The first workshop discussed evidence gaps in relation to early-onset GBS and the second workshop developed science-based research questions for funders to consider.

On 17 November officials met with GBSS to discuss recent policy developments including the publication of Safer Maternity Care, and the Maternity Transformation Programme.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is currently reviewing its recommendation on antenatal screening for GBS carriage as part of its three yearly review cycle. A public consultation is being held which will close on 25 January 2017. Following the closure of the consultation, the UK NSC will review its recommendation on screening for GBS carriage in pregnancy and a recommendation will be made to Ministers.