GROUP B STREP SUPPORT

23rd January 2017

Sir Nicholas Soames MP joins Jane Plumb MBE; CEO of Group B Strep Support, Matthew Pennycook MP, Mr and Mrs Paddon [constituents of Matthew Pennycook] and other parents affected by group B Strep, to deliver 250,000-Strong Petition to the Department of Health calling for action to protect newborn babies.

Sir Nicholas Soames, who is a Patron of GBSS, said; “For too long the UK has trailed behind our peers on how we reduce group B Strep infection in babies. Yet more and more families every year are suffering the devastation that avoidable group B Strep infection can bring.

 
“I applaud Fiona and Scott for their brave work, following the tragedy of their son’s death from group B Strep infection, to get the Department of Health to see sense. We must change what we do – by informing all expectant parents of group B Strep, and offering women the opportunity to be tested in pregnancy – to reduce these awful infections in newborn babies.
 
“I’m delighted that Fiona and Scott are working closing with the charity, Group B Strep Support, of which I am Patron, who work tirelessly to achieve this aim.
 
“If we continue what we’ve always done, we will get what we have always got – and in the UK that is a higher than necessary and rising number of potentially avoidable group B Strep infections in newborn babies, resulting in too many families suffering unnecessarily the trauma of infant death, disability or illness.”

Their petition calls on the Secretary of State for Health; Jeremy Hunt MP, the Chief Medical Officer for England; Professor Dame Sally Davies and the Chief Executive of Public Health England, Dr Duncan Selbie, to ensure sensitive testing for group B Streptococcus (GBS or Strep B) carriage is routinely and freely available for all pregnant women in the UK. Routinely offering these tests could prevent over 80% of GBS infections in newborn babies born to women carrying the bacteria.

DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT

Parliament has been dissolved until after the General Election on 12th December and there are now no MPs. This website is for reference of my work when I was a Member of Parliament.

I am not seeking re-election.