Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve (a) diagnosis and (b) care of Placenta Accreta Spectrum.

The diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum is primarily done in the antenatal period using ultrasound imaging. To ensure effective diagnosis and management of placenta accreta spectrum, national guidance is provided within the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Placenta Praevia and Placenta Accreta: Diagnosis and Management Guideline. The NICE guidance and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ guidelines are available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng192/documents/draft-guideline-2

https://www.rcog.org.uk/guidance/browse-all-guidance/green-top-guidelines/placenta-praevia-and-placenta-accreta-diagnosis-and-management-green-top-guideline-no-27a/

In 2020, NHS England commissioned placenta accreta networks in the United Kingdom to support local and regional screening, shared protocols, and co-ordinated referral pathways to specialist pregnancy accreta centres. These centres consist of highly experienced multidisciplinary teams with the expertise to manage this condition and improve the safety outcomes for women and babies.