§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, (1) what guidance her Department has on the provision of the triple test as a screening test for abnormalities in pregnant women;
(2) if she will indicate the percentage of purchasers and hospitals who are providing the triple test for abnormalities in pregnancy.
814W
§ Mr. SackvilleA report by a working party of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists into maternal serum screening for the detection of fetal Down's Syndrome, including the triple test, was published in 1993 to assist those in the national health service who are considering the introduction of such a screening programme, or who are already running one.
Information about the percentage of purchasers and hospitals providing the triple test is not available centrally. The provision of ante-natal screening for abnormalities remains a matter for individual health authorities, which decide what tests are offered as part of antenatal care in the light of local needs and circumstances.