Earlier this week, ITV News covered our concerns about how few hospitals are signed up to the GBS3 Trial, and that this was leaving it at risk of failure.
However, at time of writing only 33 out of the 80 hospitals needed have signed up. Without another 47 hospitals joining by the September 2022 deadline, the trial risks failure – it won’t get enough data to be useful.
If successful, the GBS3 Trial will tell us if testing pregnant women for GBS prevents more of these infections in newborn babies than the UK’s current risk-based approach. It will also tell us how the global standard test for GBS carriage – the ECM test – taken at 35-37 weeks’ pregnancy compares with a rapid test, taken in labour.
Jane Plumb MBE, Chief Executive of Group B Strep Support comments:
“The reality is that unless a further 47 hospitals sign up for this trial, then it will fail.
The government is waiting for the results from this trial to determine whether to test pregnant women for group B Strep. Yet there seems to be little acknowledgement that this trial is heading towards failure.
We need more hospitals on board and we need to make sure that the investment in this trial is not wasted.
This is about saving the lives of babies, and it really is now or never.”
Jane Plumb
Over 3,500 of our amazing supporters have written to their MP asking them to get their local hospital involved in the GBS3 trial, and it’s attracted the support of influencers and celebrities like Anna Whitehouse (MotherPukka) and Iwan Thomas, whose son Teddy was seriously ill with group B Strep infection.
Watching Teddy covered in tubes and fighting for his life in intensive care was by far the worst experience of my life.
Fortunately, Teddy’s made a great recovery from his Group B Strep infection, but I know there are those less fortunate whose children have died or survived with life-changing disabilities.
That’s why I’m so passionate about the GBS3 trial succeeding, so other families don’t have to go through what I and so many others have.
It’s outrageous that in 2022 babies are getting sick and dying from a preventable infection.
Iwan THomas
