Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) active and (b) passive surveillance measures in informing prevention strategies for infectious diseases in newborn babies.

The Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy Screening programme (IDPS) for HIV, Hepatitis B and syphilis is monitored through surveillance systems within the UK Health Security Agency. This programme is delivered through NHS England which also monitors it through their Integrated Screening Outcomes Surveillance Service (ISOSS). IDPS is offered in every pregnancy, with a high uptake of 99.7%.

All pregnancies with a screen positive result for these infections are reported to NHS England’s ISOSS which conducts active surveillance, including pregnancy and infant outcome. Data collected through ISOSS enables the IDPS to monitor performance, review all positive cases and identify new areas for further audit and research.

All instances of vertical transmission, previously known as mother-to-child transmission, of infection for HIV, hepatitis B and diagnosis of congenital syphilis in babies are investigated and anonymously reviewed by clinical experts to add to the understanding of the burden of disease and risk factors associated with it. Data and findings from ISOSS are used to improve the screening pathway and feed into the production of national clinical guidance for the treatment and management of these infections in pregnancy.