Petition
We, the undersigned, petition the Northern Ireland Assembly to ensure that
- Every pregnant woman in Northern Ireland is fully informed about the group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacterium as a routine part of her antenatal care;
- Every woman in Northern Ireland whose baby is at low risk of developing GBS infection is routinely offered a sensitive test to identify whether she is carrying group B Strep at 35-37 weeks of pregnancy on the NHS; and
- Every pregnant woman in Northern Ireland found to carry GBS during her current pregnancy, plus women whose babies are also at higher risk of developing GBS infection, is offered intravenous antibiotics in labour to minimise that risk.
(Please note that the information you provide will only be used for the purposes of this petition, you will not be contacted in any way, nor will your information be passed on to any other organisation.)
Helen Savage, Co. Antrim
Samuel Gardiner, Co. Armagh
Susan Kyle, Co. Armagh
David Kyle, Co. Armagh
Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA, Co. Down
Happy to endorse this important campaign and I hope my colleagues in the Assembly will be able to give their support.
michelle mc mackin, Co. Tyrone
it is vital that all pregnant women be tested for gbs, to stop families suffering needlessly
xxxxxxxx, Co. Antrim
Antrim hospital does this test for all women having children. I was suprised that all hospitals did not offer the same service, indeed our local gp did not know that Antrim did these tests.
xxxxxxxx, Co. Antrim
I believe that this test should be offered in all hospitals across NI. If Antrim hospital can successfully offer this test to pregnant women, I struggle to understand why other hospitals cannot do the same.
M Geoghegan, Co. Armagh
This simple test could save lives. It is very important that this is offered to ALL pregnant women.
Sam Savage, Co. Antrim
xxxxxxxx, Co. Londonderry
xxxxxxxx, Co. Londonderry
Helen McMahon, Co. Down
I asked about this at my first antenatal appointment in the Ulster nad was told that it is completely unecessary as the risk is so low and if the baby did contract it, it would be spotted immediately. Unfortunately, my friend's experience proved that this was not the case.
brenda carabine, Co. Antrim
Faithe Moffett, Co. Down
Eleanor Ellerslie, Co. Antrim
xxxxxxxx, Co. Down
suzanne hagan, Co. Armagh
conor hagan, Co. Antrim
xxxxxxxx, Co. Tyrone
Having experienced the death of our beautiful baby daughter due to prematurity I feel that if anything can help prevent parents having to cope with the death of their baby it must be given the priority it deserves.
Amanda Corbett, Co. Down
Carola Dahlstrom, Co. Antrim
kelly knipe, Co. Armagh
Claire Kearney, Co. Down
TRACEY MCIVOR, Co. Londonderry
mother of baby anna who was hospitalised for 2 weeks after taking v ill at home 3 days after birth with GBS
Sharon Lockwood, Co. Down
Gillian Wilson, Co. Down
Des McLaughlin, Co. Armagh
xxxxxxxx, Co. Down
Ciara McGrath , Co. Down
Heather Law, Co. Antrim
cathy keegan, Co. Armagh
Michelle Marshall, Co. Down
Losing a child simply devestates whole families. Everything that can be done needs to be done to stop this needless devestation.
Philip McGuigan, Co. Armagh
xxxxxxxx, Co. Armagh
xxxxxxxx, Co. Antrim
xxxxxxxx, Co. Antrim
xxxxxxxx, Co. Antrim
Audrey Wilson, Co. Fermanagh
This is so important. I lost my first grandson Samuel because of this virus and his death could have been so easily avoided. I don't want any other family to have to go through this
xxxxxxxx, Co. Down
Natalie Doherty, Co. Antrim
S McIntyre, Co. Antrim
Nicola Kirkwood, Co. Antrim
ANDREW CAMPBELL, Co. Down
May De Silva, Co. Antrim
For those who have not been affected and know very little about B-Strep please sign up as it could happen to any pregnant woman you know.
Keith Foster, Co. Antrim
Nichola Hicks, Co. Fermanagh
MYLA PALISOC, Co. Antrim
Elaine Thompson, Co. Tyrone
fiona bloomer, Co. Antrim
This test should be offered to all pregnancy women irrespective of what area of NI you live in. If Antrim hospital can offer this test to pregnant women, why can't other hospitals?
Martin McCready, Co. Antrim
xxxxxxxx, Co. Antrim
roseann murray, Co. Antrim
Ruth Beattie, Co. Down
xxxxxxxx, Co. Down
Andrea English, Co. Antrim
Emma Spiers, Co. Londonderry
I attended Altnagelvin during pregnancy. a test was not offered to me. i knew nothing about gbs until i was involved with it directly. this should not be allowed to happen. the test should be routinely available in all hospitals
erin hurst, Co. Londonderry
Nicola Dilworth, Co. Down
This should be tested as standard. A simple test that could save both lives and heart ache
David Mcdaniel, Co. Antrim
Alexandria Doherty, Co. Antrim
surely with the amount of money being spent unwisely, more could be spent on essential health care like testing for GBS
Sharon McCaffrey, Co. Antrim
This ought to be offered to all pregnant women and girls in NI as a basic right; indeed, not to do so, is to treat them as less-deserving of such a vital service.
xxxxxxxx, Co. Londonderry
This test should be offered to all pregnant women. I have gone through 2 pregnancies and this has never been offered to me
xxxxxxxx, Co. Armagh
Essential screening of all pregnant women is required.
Lynsey Kane, Co. Antrim
Lisa McIntyre, Co. Antrim
My Sister had Group B Strep with her last preganancy and was not detected until after the birth resulting in a very sick baby. I think tested should be offered to all pregnant women.
lisa kelly, Co. Antrim
Having experienced the death of my baby boy Dylan from group B strep i feel every pregnant women should be informed and tested.
Elaine Cairns, Co. Antrim
My son was born with group b strep and was very ill after birth, he is now 3 and doing really well but its great to know that there are people in N.Ireland who are doing something about this infection as i had no idea i was a carrier of GBS. So well done keep up the good work.
colin pidgeon, Co. Down
I would like to see this as standard practice.
denzil mcdaniel, Co. Fermanagh
Sinead McClafferty, Co. Londonderry
xxxxxxxx, Co. Londonderry
I had this in my first pregnancy and its frightening as my son was very ill.
Gayle A Cole, Co. Antrim
Such a simple test that could save a life. My son was born in USA where the test is done routinely. With my daughter I insisted that it was done as the risk is not worth taking.
Penny Cole, Co. Antrim
This test happens automatically in the USA and if it is good enough for them then it is good enough for us
xxxxxxxx, Co. Down
A most worthwhile cause
Jenni Neill, Co. Down
I only found out I had strep B less than an hour before my first baby was born. This could have been detected earlier. Thankfully everything was ok with the antibiotics given.
Jackie Thomas, Co. Antrim
xxxxxxxx, Co. Down
Bridget Donegan, Co. Londonderry
i was swabed for gbs and the hos lost the swab my baby died at 3 weeks old
Cathy, Co. Down
Vital this is offered.
dr prem raj pushpakaran, Co. Armagh
C Shiels, Co. Down
This should be a routine screening for all pregnant women - prevention is much better than cure
Louise Parker, Co. Londonderry
The test for GBS should become routine and save the lives of babies and stop heartache for many people.
Victoria Gardiner, Co. Down
This test should be offered to every pregnant woman to save lives !
Gary Gardiner, Co. Down
All women should have this testing. They go thorugh enough worry without the additional heartache of something that could be easily prevented.
Elizabeth Crory, Co. Down