AQW 3895/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 30/09/2022
Answered On Date: 10/10/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health when a national pregnancy screening programme will be put in place.

Answer:

Currently in Northern Ireland, every pregnant woman is offered blood tests to screen for infectious diseases, including HIV; hepatitis B; syphilis, and susceptibility to rubella at their antenatal booking appointment (usually 10-12 weeks of pregnancy). This is as part of the Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy Screening programme – a managed population screening programme, working to meet nationally agreed standards as recommended by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC).

As part of routine antenatal care in Northern Ireland all pregnant women are also offered a detailed fetal anomaly scan, typically at 18-21 weeks of pregnancy. This is to check for structural abnormalities and rare conditions, and to allow referral to fetal medicine services for further assessment and follow-up as required.