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News Funding boost for pre-eclampsia testing in Scotland
Action on Pre-eclampsia (APEC) has welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement of dedicated funding for pre-eclampsia testing in every Health Board – helping to protect thousands of pregnant mothers and babies in Scotland. This means that, for the first time, expectant mothers in Scotland will soon have access to placental growth factor (PlGF) testing, a simple blood test to help diagnose pre-eclampsia that has been available in England since 2016. Pre-eclampsia is a potentially devastating
pregnancy complication that can prove fatal for both mother and baby if not identified early and carefully monitored. It remains one of the two main causes of maternal death worldwide, and in Scotland, an estimated 5,260 pregnant people present with suspected pre-eclampsia every year. Despite guidance from the Scottish Health
Technologies Group in 2023, Health Boards have failed to implement PlGF-based testing, citing the lack of funding as a key barrier. This new dedicated Government funding marks a victory for APEC’s Clark’s Campaign, led by bereaved parents Ami and Stuart Geddes, to ensure that PlGF-based testing is available in Scotland for every pregnant
woman who needs it. In January 2021, baby Clark Geddes had to be delivered at just 24 weeks, after his mum Ami became life-threateningly ill with pre- eclampsia during her pregnancy. Tragically, Clark died just 12 days later. The campaigners met with First Minister, John
Swinney, on 8th August 2024, to discuss the need to secure access to testing across Scotland. Marcus Green, Chief Executive of Action on
Pre-eclampsia, said: “Nearly 18 months after PlGF-based testing for pre-eclampsia was recommended for use in Scotland, it’s welcome to see that the Scottish Government is now funding
its implementation across the nation. There is no doubt that access to this testing will help save the lives of mothers and babies across Scotland, finally giving them the care that they need. “We launched Clark’s campaign with Ami and
Stuart Geddes in memory of their little boy, so that no other parent would have to endure the tragedy of losing a baby to pre-eclampsia. It’s because of them and all the other families like them that this result matters so much. We’re proud that our years of campaigning have come to fruition and thank everyone who has supported us. Heath Boards must now ensure that this funding is put to use by taking steps to implement PlGF-based testing in their areas.” Stuart Geddes, Clark’s Campaign lead, said: “When Ami and I had Clark, he was perfect - but his lungs just weren’t strong enough and he tragically passed away. Since then, we’ve campaigned to get proper pre-eclampsia testing for women in Scotland who really need it. It’s brilliant news that the Scottish Government is going to fund this thanks to Clark’s Campaign. We could not be prouder that our little man’s life will be saving the lives of mums and babies right here in his own country.”
Avensys and Probo Medical announce partnership
Clinical engineering specialist, Avensys, has recently forged a strategic partnership with Probo Medical to offer NHS and private hospitals a single provider of EBME and Diagnostic Imaging services. The service offering covers consultation, device supply, maintenance and repair, and strategic planning with a reach that extends UK wide. The CEO of Avensys, Rob Strange, emphasised the partnership’s commitment to delivering a new strategic option to the healthcare sector: “Key to this arrangement is that both Avensys and Probo Medical are independent, vendor neutral companies. Our interest lies only in delivering
excellent service and value for the customer and to that end, of course, the patient. In working with Probo Medical, we have found a company that not only shares our values but has the capability and reputation to help us disrupt a market which has perhaps become overly reliant on OEM maintenance contracts.” The implementation of this partnership has commenced across one of the UK’s largest healthcare groups, for Avensys and Probo Medical are jointly managing the maintenance of a range of bio-medical and Diagnostic Imaging (DI) equipment including anaesthetics, patient
monitoring and x-ray, ultrasound, and CT. With over 30 hospital locations across the UK to manage, the scale of this partnership is able to provide a responsive service to both EBME and DI requirements, ensuring device uptime is optimised and high standards of patient care. From the customer’s perspective, the partnership streamlines operations by providing a single point of contact through Avensys, simplifying contractual arrangements and ensuring seamless coordination of maintenance tasks. Avensys’ Health Inventory Management Software (H-IMS) is being used by both companies and is provided free to customers.
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