Mims Davies MP for Mid Sussex has met with Jane Plumb the Chief Executive of Group B Strep Support (GBSS) over the past 4 years and has spoken about this issue several times in the House of Commons. GBSS is based in Haywards Heath and it relies on independent funding and have been world advocators on eradicating group B Strep infection in babies. Jane has had various consultations with Government bodies and was recently endorsed by the Minister for Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Patient Safety, Nadine Dorries MP.
Nadine Dorries wrote passionately in her article in the Daily Mail on 22nd February 2021. She called for hospitals to use gold standard test for mothers at risk of giving babies Strep B infection, commenting:
“In 2019, as a health minister, I was proud to announce that the large-scale National Institute for Health Research-funded clinical trial on testing for GBS had received ethical approval in England. This trial has been established to compare the current risk-based approach with routine testing.
I have recently discovered that out of the estimated 80 hospitals we require for the trial to screen 320,000 women, so far only 15 have been able to commit to doing so.
The sad fact is that not one single woman has been swabbed as a part of the screening trial, which is due to report findings in 2022.”
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the UK’s most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies. GBS is a very common bacterium and most pregnant women with GBS will have healthy babies. However, in a small number of cases there is a risk that GBS can pass to the baby around childbirth and cause illness. GBS most often causes sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis and is the leading cause of meningitis in children under five. On average in the UK at least two babies a day develop GBS infection, one baby a week dies from GBS infection and one baby a week survives with disability. Since becoming Minister, I have heard from women and their families who have been sadly affected by GBS.
Commenting Mims Davies MP, said:
“I’ve support Group B Strep work since my election in 2015, I have spoken in the Commons chamber and worked cross party to ensure that the Government’s maternity strategy tackles these ongoing tragedies. I have had the opportunity the see all the hard work Jane has been doing. GBSS is based in Haywards Heath in Mid Sussex, and I continue to support this charity in any way possible. Being a parent brings many worries and fears, Strep B should not be one.”