Anyone else been told you won’t get the nuchal scan/combined test?

[Luckyme30]

I’ve been told by my midwife that I won’t be able to have the combined test/Nuchal scan at my dating scan due to COVID.

I’m in Oxfordshire - here’s the note form the OUH trust website, before I query this with them on Tuesday has anyone anywhere else in the U.K. been told they won’t get this screening?

I thought this was a basic thing that every pregnant woman is entitled to?

Someone posted a thread on this yesterday. I think they may have also been Oxfordshire x

Welcome to the covid only health service.

I'm imagining Oxfordshire apparently but here's the other post www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/3876003-Change-in-screening-what-does-this-mean

X

Oops sorry that was me that posted that thread but I started this as I wanted to know if anyone else (in a different area) had been told the same!

I’m guessing it’s just my area :(

Haha sorry! Did your MW say why? I'd maybe speak to maternity action. What's their reasoning. It's a pretty big deal I'm surprised they're cancelling. I'd be pretty miffed too x

When I had my booking in appointment they just said that this is what will be happening, admittedly I didn’t realise that the bloods she would take at week 15 wouldn’t be the same as the bloods they do at dating scan - it’s only when I checked the trusts website that I saw they will not be screening for all 3.

I’m going to call first thing Tuesday, I don’t hold out much hope for them changing it for me - this is also a trust who the Birthrights charity are currently in battle with over their terrible policy around maternal choice c-sections so I really don’t hold any hope in them having any regard for how I feel about having this taken away from me :(

Just trying to get a feel for the situation and if it is only this trust that are not screening - from what I can see it seems to be the case at the moment! :( x

That is surprising. This is a screenshot from the royal college of obstetrics and gynaecologists guidelines on antenatal care and covid 19, which clearly says that combined screening should take place as normal, so what they are planning goes against the guidance (unless of course the guidance has changed, but this is the most recent one on their website and it’s dated 30th March)

There must be a reason they aren’t able to do it, but it does seem odd when they are able to offer the quad test. Are you able to discuss it with your midwife?

Link to guidance: www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/2020-03-30-guidance-for-antenatal-and-postnatal-services-in-the-evolving-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-20200331.pdf

@Luckyme30 are you able to change to a different hospital or book a private scan for nuchal testing?

@NotInTheMorning thank you so much for that useful information!

I am going to give the midwife’s office a call first thing on Tuesday morning armed with this information - although I know it’s not the midwives themselves making these changes so I do feel bad giving them a hard time about it.

I’m also considering whether an email to PALS at the trust would be worth considering, problem is my scan is on Friday next week and I imagine they are dealing with lots of things at the moment - so it probably won’t give enough time for a resolution before the scan.

There seems to be no reason, even the website is very vague but midwife read the info about no longer offering the tests of a sheet of paper she said they had been given and that was the most up to date info, so seems certain it is happening :(

@FirstTimeBumps I can choose to move to another trust but I don’t know if I’ll have enough time to have a scan and still get the testing (I’m 11 weeks now) my scan at oxford is Friday next week.

Does anyone know what the time frames are for these tests, is it before 14 weeks?

I could go privately, I think NIPT is £400 I was considering this but I tried to get a scan and can’t get one until beginning of May (that was last week) so would be pushing it dates wise :( unless NIPT can be done after 14 weeks.. I think NIPT covers all 3 but not 100%

Now with the bank holiday everywhere is closed so feel like time is not on my side for getting this resolved :(

NIPT does cover all three and gives a more accurate result I believe although still not conclusive (only CVS and amino are conclusive). I'd push with the hospital first and give PALS a try at least. I just don't understand why they can't do it if they're scamming you anyway

@FirstTimeBumps I will see if I can find a place near me that’s still open to do the NIPT, feels really unfair, I could have done with putting £400 towards my fund to cover maternity leave as I don’t get full mat pay where I work...

I will also try and send PALS an email and may also try and call the ultrasound department as I have the letter here, see if I can work out if it will be a definite no for the tests on the dating scan..

Although I know it’s not the midwives themselves making these changes so I do feel bad giving them a hard time about it.

I know, but I think you’re well within your rights to ask for an explanation, at the very least.

The time frame for combined screening is 11-14 weeks, for the quadruple test it’s 14-20 weeks, and the NIPT can be done any time after 11 weeks right up to the end of the pregnancy, so you’re ok for time. If you want more information on the different tests the ARC website and the Tommy’s website are really good (the ARC website especially for antenatal tests).

It must be so stressful but there are options so I’m sure you’ll be able to access screening one way or another (hopefully without having to part with £400!)

Pretty certain that NIPT can be done at any point after 10weeks (although earlier is better from a decision making point of view). It is still screening, most accurate for downs but reasonably accurate for Edwards/patuas (less so for rarer chromosome conditions than are sometimes offered). Think false positives can be an issue (have seen some threads on here but haven't checked the science myself) but if you had a positive result you would be able to discuss amnios with your midwife.

Welcome to the covid only health service.

Yup.

Hello, I had a nuchal screen yesterday! It was originally booked for next week but I had been bleeding so brought me in. Didnt think I'd be having the nuchal screening but the sonographer said the baby was measuring big enough ( needs to be measuring 14mm+ ) so she said if I wanted it doing there and then then I could. It's an important scan so I dont understand their reasoning at all. Hope you get somewhere with it x

Thank you all for your suggestions, I think the NIPT is probably going to be an option if I have no joy with my scan. At least it can be done at any stage so there’s not so much pressure as I thought there would be :)

I’m just baffled, it seems to be only my trust so far that I have heard are not offering this screening, I can’t help thinking that I’ve read it wrong and would love to be proved wrong but think the website makes it clear it won’t be happening, also the fact I’ve been booked to see midwife for bloods makes me think that it is definitely the case with this trust :(

I’ve just fired off an email to PALS asking them clarify why this is happening and also pointing out the guidance given by RCOG. I expect they are inundated with many people complaining about lack of services so don’t hold much hope in it getting resolved before my scan on Friday.

Will also see if my GP who has been brilliant so far will refer me over to my next local trust , I’ve checked their website and screening is still going ahead so I may just be able to get in in enough time to get the testing.

If all else fails I’ll get the NIPT done.

It’s such a difficult time for everyone not just pregnant women, I hate feeling like I’m complaining but I can’t be the only woman in Oxfordshire who is not happy about this!

Sounds like you’ve got a good plan, I really hope you get it sorted!

It does only say “may not be possible” and to be honest, it isn’t guaranteed anyway. Our baby wasn’t in a good position to measure the NT accurately so we were just offered the quadruple test as a result. I think it is just that they won’t bring you back for additional scans to measure this only (which they might have done before). We then had a NIPT instead.

I noticed it said may not be able to but my midwife had already booked me in for the quadruple bloods at 15 weeks and when I questioned her why I had still received the screening forms with my scan letter she confirmed that they will not be doing that screening at my scan...

Just called my GP who have no idea how to refer me to a different trust for antenatal care

Just to let you know @luckyme30 midwives will still be working Easter weekend if you want to try and cal your team.

Sorry you're in this position op. With DC1 everyone only had the blood test and I remember results were heavily skewed depending on the age of the mother. Hopefully this is just to cover them incase they have several absences on one day so don't have time to measure the nuchal fold on that particular day.

It doesn’t take long if baby is in the correct position - literally a few seconds. I think the “May” is that if they are not, they won’t persist

Thanks both :)

I’m hoping that it means this too, fingers crossed. Will also try my midwives office and see if I get any luck x

Just checked my trust, in Hampshire, and they are still doing all checks. I was pleased to see you are actually still allowed one person to come with you to scans. Though I have no idea when the page was last updated.

If you know the hospital you want to change to I wonder if you can contact their maternity dept directly? I changed hospitals during my last pregnancy, but I was lucky there was a self referral form on their website.

Best of luck to you, this feels really awful and I hope it gets sorted. Seems your trust is the only one so far.