Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of developing a care pathway for women who choose to continue their pregnancy after a positive result for Down's Syndrome.

The Department asked the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to consider developing a care pathway for women who choose to continue their pregnancy after a positive result for Down's Syndrome. The RCOG is currently reviewing their clinical guidelines, and guidance for the care of women through antenatal screening and further diagnostic testing is planned for publication on the RCOG website at the end of the month.

In addition, the RCOG is looking to commission further advice which will aim to support decision making around choices after the diagnosis of fetal anomaly in pregnancy, ensuring results are provided in a non-directive way and to guide clinicians in providing high quality care for women to support the choices they make.

The RCOG is also working on a position statement to ensure its members clearly understand the importance of providing impartial support and options to women and their partners throughout antenatal screening through to diagnostic results and beyond.