In a recent meeting David Mowat, Warrington South's Parliamentary Spokesman, backed a national campaign for every woman in the UK to be offered a sensitive test for group B Stretococcus (GBS) at 35-37 weeks of pregnancy by the NHS, and for every pregnant woman to be given accurate information about GBS as a routine part of her antenatal care.

GBS is the most common cause of life-threatening infections in newborn babies in the UK. Without preventative medicine, GBS infects around 700 babies each year of whom, sadly, 75 or more die and around 40 survivors are left with long term problems as a result. And yet most of these infections could be prevented. The test that is available is standard in the US and most of Europe and has a 98% success rate, and would prevent nearly all these incidents.

David says,  "it is staggering that after spending over £100billion each year on the NHS a
simple procedure like this is not performed....the cost is £30 per test which is about £18m for the whole country".

During wide ranging discussions with the Chief Executive of North Cheshire NHS Trust (Warrington & Halton Hospitals), Mrs Catherine Beardshaw, David expressed his concern that the GBS test was not offered as a matter of routine to Warrington's mothers to be, Mrs Beardshaw in a positive response said whilst it was not NHS policy to offer the test, she would discuss the matter with the Trust's Medical Director. 

David is encouraging those who would like to see the GBS test offered as a matter of routine to sign the Prime Minister's No. 10 online petition:

Online Petition 

For further information please visit the following Group B Strep support site:

GBS

13 June 2007
mation

about GBS as a routine part of 1