Dr Gopal Rao said that before the screening programme was put in place in late February 2014, the Trust had for several years experienced substantially higher levels of invasive GBS than the national rate:
- Approximately 5000 babies per year are born at Northwick Park Hospital
- Despite using a risk-based IAP protocol, the invasive EOGBS rate was 0.88/1000 live births per year over the four years (2008-2012) twice the national rate (0.4/1000 live births)
- In 2013, the EOGBS rate was 1.65 per thousand live births; five out of the eight affected babies did not have maternal risk factors
- Between 2008-13, the LOGBS rate was 0.36/1000 and the maternal bacteraemia rate 0.95/1000.
Something is not working for us, and certainly the national risk-based guidelines are not working for us and I’m not going to waste any more time trying to make the implementation better.”
Dr Gopal Rao, Consultant Microbiologist, North West London Hospitals NHS Trust
