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NHS council confirms launch of targeted preeclampsia test for pregnant women

Online Niel November 6, 2024

NHS Lothian has confirmed it is among the health boards in Scotland to introduce urgent tests for preeclampsia in pregnant women.

The condition, which develops in the second stage of pregnancy, is thought to occur when there is a problem with the placenta.

It can be fatal for mothers and babies if it is not identified or managed correctly.

Preeclampsia is thought to affect around 5,000 pregnancies in Scotland each year, but can be managed if caught early enough.

NHS Lothian has confirmed they are among the first health boards in Scotland to launch targeted blood tests to reduce risk to pregnant women.

Placental growth factor (PlGF)-based testing is a blood test that can help confirm or rule out preeclampsia and is expected to significantly reduce unnecessary interventions.

The test accurately predicts the likelihood of pre-eclampsia within seven days and has been used in the NHS in England since 2016.

The specialist test was made available in Scotland in August after the Scottish Government pledged £259,000 in funding to NHS Scotland.

It will allow maternity teams to allocate more resources to the highest risk patients.

Dr Emma Doubal, clinical director for obstetrics, NHS Lothian, said: “Preeclampsia can be a serious and complex condition to diagnose and manage. In milder cases, ambulatory monitoring may be sufficient, however, moderate to severe cases often result in early delivery.

“This new PlGF-based testing will enable maternity teams to more confidently identify cases that truly require hospital assessment and avoid hospital stays for others. We expect this development will significantly reduce the number of inpatient assessments, reducing stress on families and allowing us to pay more attention to those at greatest clinical risk.”

Health Cabinet Secretary Neil Gray said: “I am delighted that NHS Lothian has now implemented placental growth factor-based testing following Scottish Government investment. Patient safety is always our highest priority and I am delighted that pregnant women in NHS Lothian will now be offered this life-saving test for suspected preeclampsia.”

The launch of the test in Lothian is supported by Roche Diagnostics, using the ‘Roche Elecsys Assay’ – which integrates with existing systems and provides high diagnostic accuracy.

Kate Quinney, disease area manager for women’s health at Roche Diagnostics UK and Ireland, said: “The use of PIGF-based tests for preeclampsia not only reduces unnecessary hospital admissions for the condition, but crucially ensures that parents-to-be they get the care they need. We are delighted that expectant parents in Lothian will now be able to access this.

“We continue to work with Boards in Scotland to support wider access to PlGF-based testing so that everyone can have access to a clear diagnosis for this potentially life-threatening condition – no matter where they live. “