NHS Lothian has launched a specialised blood test for pregnant women identified as being at increased risk of pre-eclampsia, making it one of the pioneering health boards in Scotland to offer this advanced diagnostic tool.
Placental Growth Factor-based (PlGF) testing can help to confirm or rule out pre-eclampsia and is expected to significantly reduce unnecessary interventions for suspected pre-eclampsia in Lothian. It will allow maternity teams to allocate more resources to patients at the highest risk.
Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition that can pose significant health risks to both mothers and their babies. Approximately 10% of pregnant women show possible signs of pre-eclampsia, such as elevated blood pressure or high protein levels in their urine, however, the presentation of these signs can be highly variable. This variability can lead to over- or under-diagnosis, meaning that crucial opportunities to optimise perinatal care for mothers and babies can be missed.
NHS Lothian has well-established clinical pathways for assessing women with suspected pre-eclampsia. All expectant mothers have routine checks at antenatal appointments to monitor for signs that pre-eclampsia may be developing. Those with emerging risk factors undergo further assessments, including blood tests, fetal monitoring, and ultrasound scans to build a full picture of their wellbeing. Some cases may require admission to the Maternity Unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh or St John’s Hospital for close monitoring and treatment over several days.
In May 2024, the Scottish Government asked Health Boards for an update on their plans to introduce PlGF testing to confirm or rule out pre-eclampsia following the work of the Scottish Health Technologies Group. Recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), PlGF testing accurately predicts the likelihood of pre-eclampsia within seven days.
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 PlGF test rollout in Lothian is supported by Roche Diagnostics, using the Roche Elecsys Assay test, which integrates with existing diagnostic systems and offers high diagnostic accuracy. This new test can be conducted alongside the routine blood tests already performed during pre-eclampsia assessments.
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.”
Simplified Summary
NHS Lothian has launched a specialised blood test for pregnant women identified as being at increased risk of pre-eclampsia, making it one of the pioneering health boards in Scotland to offer this advanced diagnostic tool.
