Screening

Guidance from DH helps commissioners and others look at how to improve uptake of antenatal screening and newborn immunisation for hepatitis B. There’s also a care pathway covering primary as well as acute care roles. DH has supported universal screening of pregnant wormen and immunisation of at-risk infants since 2001 and current uptake of screening has risen to over 95% (2009 figures). However, this new guidance points out that immunisation uptake is more uncertain, especially in the necessary later doses, as evidenced in an audit in London in 2006.