Question reference: S5W-22520
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 3 April 2019
-
Current status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 23 April 2019
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when plans for the implementation of non-invasive prenatal testing will be published, and whether the plans will be open to public consultation.
Answer
The UK National Screening Committee undertook a three month public consultation in 2015 which informed its subsequent recommendations on Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) in 2016 and endorsed by the Scottish Screening Committee in March 2018. Given that the Scottish Government is advised on all aspects of screening by the UK National Screening Committee, we do not plan to run any additional public consultation.
The implementation plans for NIPT are not held by the Scottish Government, they are held by National Services Scotland (NSS); the organisation which is leading on the implementation of NIPT on behalf of NHS Scotland. Request for access to any plans should therefore be made to NSS.