Top picks: 7 resources about Group B Strep

Summary

Knowing about Group B Strep when you’re pregnant or in the early weeks after birth can make a massive difference – most Group B Strep infections in newborn babies can be prevented, and early treatment can and does save lives.

Group B Strep Awareness Week is a dedicated week to raise awareness of group B Strep – the most common cause of serious infection in newborn babies in the UK. Infections that are usually preventable. The week aims to inform expectant parents, healthcare professionals, and communities about the risks, prevention, and importance of testing and early treatment.

In this blog, Patient Safety Learning has pulled together seven useful resources about Group Strep B shared on the hub.

Content

1 Leaflet on Group B Strep

The charity Group B Strep Support (GBSS) has produced an information leaflet, written in partnership with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), aimed particularly at pregnant people and new parents and includes information on what Group B Strep is, what it could mean for a baby, how to reduce the risk and the key signs of Group B Strep infection. The leaflet has been translated from English into 14 other languages

2 Group B Strep: Poppy's story

Group B Strep is a type of bacteria which lives in the intestines, rectum and vagina of around 2-4 in every 10 women in the UK (20-40%). Most women carrying GBS will have no symptoms and although it is not harmful to pregnant women, it can affect babies around the time of birth. Read Poppy's story.

3 Leading for safety: A conversation with Jane Plumb, Founder of Group B Strep Support

Jane Plumb is the Co-Founder of Group B Strep Support and the Women's Voices Lead for the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists. In this interview, she emphasises the importance of actively involving patients and families in patient safety discussions so that improvements can be informed by their insights and experiences. 

4 New FREE eLearning module on group B Strep (30 July 2024)

The charity Group B Strep Support have launched a new FREE eLearning module on group B Strep and it comes with one hour of Continued Professional Development (CPD) credit. This vital resource is for midwives, doctors and others working in maternity and neonatal care. It has been co-produced with families, midwives, obstetricians, neonatologists and others involved in maternity and neonatal services.  

5 HSIB National Learning Report: Severe brain injury, early neonatal death and intrapartum stillbirth associated with group B streptococcus infection

This report published in 2020 highlighted a number of patient safety concerns and recommends that maternity care providers should consider the findings and make necessary changes to their local systems to ensure that mothers and babies receive care in line with national guidance.

6 Symptoms of group B Strep infection in babies

In the UK, up to two-thirds of GBS infection in babies are of early onset (showing within the first 6 days of life). Group B Strep Support have produced an awareness poster highlighting the symptoms.

7 NHS Resolution: Learning from claims related to early onset Group B Streptococcal disease in neonates

This report examines clinical negligence claims related to early onset GBS disease in neonates. The analysis reviewed 19 closed claims notified between January 2016 and March 2023, of which 11 were settled with damages paid. The total cost of these closed claims was £1,430,894, including claimant legal costs, NHS legal costs and damages. The report makes practical recommendations for maternity and neonatal services, including improved triage systems, robust processes for tracking and communicating test results, and enhanced staff training in recognising signs of sepsis.