New “SAFE” screening at Ashford & St Peter’s Hospitals

Following the news in January this year that The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) had made recommendations to offer new screening options for pregnant women, some Trusts are now seeing these programmes rolled out.

Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals in Surrey have recently introduced what is called the “SAFE” test.  Women who are assessed as having a greater risk of their baby having Down’s syndrome, Edward’s syndrome or Patau’s syndrome using the “combined test” or “quad test” (offered to all women) will now be offered this new test.

The new test is a “non-invasive” test which is much more sensitive and specific than other available options, giving more than 99% certainty. It is a simple blood test and so offers the opportunity to get a high quality result without putting the baby at risk, it works by looking at fragments of the baby’s DNA in the mother’s blood.  Samples are being tested by the team at St George’s Hospital in London, who already offer this test.

Speaking in January about the tests RCM practice and standards professional advisor Mervi Jokinen said: “The RCM welcomes this new screening technology, which provides non-invasive testing in pregnancy. It will support and improve the already established screening tests, which women are familiar with anyway, such as scans and blood tests provided in early pregnancy.  What is different is that the new blood test provides choice and reduces the need for diagnostic testing of fetal DNA through obtaining fetal cells in amniotic fluid for abnormalities – a procedure that carries a risk of miscarriage.”

For more information see St George Hospitals site here

And the original RCM statement here