GROUP B STREP INFECTIONS
Chief Medical Officer; Professor Dame Sally Davies and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health; Dr Dan Poulter attended the meeting, together with Dr Paul Cosford; Medical Director of Public Health England plus representatives from the Department of Health. The cross-Party group included Mark Durkan MP, Kate Green MP and Sir Bob Russell MP. Also in attendance was Professor Philip Steer; Chair of the Medical Advisory Panel for the national charity; Group B Strep Support (GBSS) and Mrs Jane Plumb, Chief Executive of GBSS [the charity is based in Haywards Heath].
Sir Nicholas made it clear that he felt the Government has made all too slow progress to recognise the failings in the current risk-based prevention strategy to reduce the rate of these infections since its introduction in 2003.
Sir Nicholas said; “This issue has been going on far too long, over 17 years and there is a considerable number of very senior politicians, including the Prime Minister, who are keen to make things happen.
“This was an important meeting since progress has been, to date, unacceptably slow. All Members of Parliament present at the meeting left feeling hopeful that there is a sort-of plan in place and a timetable which will enable us to hold the Government accountable for progress.”
Professor Dame Sally Davies said that the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) had started to examine the evidence for their 2015/6 policy review. The MPs stated that the process must be robust, based on robust evidence and including the international experience in preventing group B Strep infections in newborns.
Photos: Outside Department for Health and at the pre-meeting before the meeting with the Minister and CMO.
Useful Link: | Group B Strep Support