NHS board confirms launch of targeted pre-eclampsia test for pregnant women

NHS Lothian has confirmed it is among the health boards in Scotland to bring in urgent testing for pre-eclampsia in pregnant women.

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

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

Pre-eclampsia is believed to affect around 5,000 pregnancies in Scotland each year, but it can be managed if spotted early enough.

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

Placental Growth Factor-based (PlGF) testing is a blood test that can help to confirm or rule out pre-eclampsia and is expected to significantly reduce unnecessary interventions.

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

The specialist testing was made available in Scotland in August, after the Scottish government pledged funding of £259,000 for NHS Scotland.

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

Dr Emma Doubal, clinical director for obstetrics, NHS Lothian said: “Pre-eclampsia can be a serious and complex condition to diagnose and manage. In milder cases, outpatient monitoring may suffice however, moderate to severe cases often lead to early delivery.

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

Health cabinet secretary Neil Gray said: “I am pleased that NHS Lothian has now implemented Placental Growth Factor-based testing, following the Scottish Government investment. Patient safety is always our highest priority, and I am happy that pregnant women in NHS Lothian will now be offered this life saving test for suspected pre-eclampsia”.

The test rollout in Lothian is supported by Roche Diagnostics, using the “Roche Elecsys Assay test” – which integrates with existing systems and offers high diagnostic accuracy.

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

“We continue to work with Boards across Scotland to support wider access to PlGF-based testing, so that everyone can access a clear diagnosis for this potentially life-threatening condition – regardless of where they live.”