§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of best practice in the treatment of Group B Streptococcal infections in(a) the USA and (b) the EU; and if he will make a statement. [116918]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Department of Health has not done any assessment of best practice in the treatment of this disease in the United States of America or the European Union.
This is a matter of clinical practice, which we know has been receiving much research attention. We expect that obstetric units will have in place a standard form of practice based on the various guidance which currently exists while awaiting consideration of the guidelines, currently being produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which we expect will be published in December 2003. These guidelines will take account of all published work in this area.