It follows the decision by the Department of Health (DH) last year to ditch plans to introduce a more accurate way of testing for Group B streptococcus in pregnant women.
Unlike other developed countries, pregnant women in the UK are not routinely offered tests to detect Group B Strep, the most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Instead, non-specific tests are used within the NHS to detect the infection. However, the charity Group B Strep Support (GBS) claims they are unreliable and give a high proportion of falsely negative results.
Group B Strep is a normal bacterium carried by around a quarter of women without symptoms. It can be passed from mother to baby during birth. However, if it is detected before, women can be given antibiotics during labour to protect their babies from the infection.
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