Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the availability of ultrasound scans to pregnant women who (a) report reduced foetal movement before 28 weeks’ gestation and (b) present on more than one occasion after 24 weeks' gestation.

The Department has not made a recent assessment of the availability of ultrasound scans to pregnant women who report reduced foetal movement before 28 weeks’ gestation and present on more than one occasion after 24 weeks' gestation. Pregnant women are advised to seek professional help immediately if there is a reduction or change in the pattern of their baby’s movements at any gestation.

At any point in the pregnancy, if there is a repeat episode of reduced or changed foetal movements, they should contact their maternity team immediately and a plan for care will be made based on personal circumstances and the number of weeks gestation. Whether further ultrasound scans are recommended will depend on clinical need and be determined on a case-by-case basis.