A cluster of programmes, not one test. Each is offered, not imposed — and "higher chance" is the phrase that causes the most unnecessary fear.
NHS screening is free — this page explains it, we do not sell it
Honest about who benefits and who may be harmed
A GP to talk through a result, a recall or a missed invitation
Your NHS records in the room, with your consent
Talk it through with a GP
Screening itself is free on the NHS. If you want a result explained, have been recalled, or missed an invitation and are not sure what to do, a 20-minute appointment with a GMC-registered GP is £40. Same-day appointments are usually available, 6am to 10pm, seven days a week.
Private GP care led personally by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469.
Care led personally by Dr Khan
Attentive, unhurried care that listens properly
Five-star Google reviews from the people we have looked after
Registered with the Care Quality Commission
Every pregnant woman in the UK is offered this set of programmes, and every newborn baby. It is not one test but around eleven distinct screening programmes running from the booking appointment to the first weeks of life.
Every one of these is offered, not imposed. You can accept some and decline others.
Declining one does not mean declining the rest, and nobody should treat it as an all-or-nothing package. You can accept the infection screening and decline the Down's syndrome screening, or the reverse. You can change your mind.
You should be given time and information to decide, and if you feel rushed through a consent form, it is entirely reasonable to say you want longer.
We do not provide maternity care. Antenatal and newborn screening is delivered through NHS maternity services, free, and that is where it belongs.
This page exists because the results are frequently explained badly and under time pressure, and because "higher chance" is one of the most misunderstood phrases in medicine.
A scan measuring the fluid at the back of the baby's neck, plus a blood test. Combined with your age, this gives a chance figure for Down's syndrome, Edwards' syndrome and Patau's syndrome.
If you are too late for the combined test, the quadruple blood test is offered between 14 and 20 weeks, which screens for Down's syndrome only.
A detailed scan looking for 11 specific physical conditions, including spina bifida, serious heart conditions, and problems with the kidneys, abdominal wall and limbs.
This is the part with the clearest, most dramatic benefit, and the part people think least about.
Three blood tests, taken at the same time as everything else, that prevent a great deal of avoidable harm. Accept them.
The nine conditions it screens for are rare, serious, and treatable if caught in the first days of life.
Congenital hypothyroidism and PKU in particular cause permanent brain damage if untreated, and essentially none if treated from the start. A baby with either looks entirely well at day five — which is exactly why the test exists.
Hip problems and heart conditions found in the first days are considerably easier to treat than the same problems found at a year old.
Reviewed against UK National Screening Committee and NHS antenatal and newborn screening programme guidance current at the date shown above.
Most women accept most of these tests — uptake of the infection screening in particular is very high.
What is much lower is understanding of what was consented to. Studies consistently find that women are unclear which conditions were screened for, what the results meant, and that declining was an option.
Book in anyway. Late booking is common and not something to feel awkward about. Most of the screening can still be offered, and the infection screening in particular retains most of its value.
Screening does not replace acting on symptoms. Contact your maternity unit immediately for:
The movements one matters most. There is no such thing as bothering them about it, and the advice to "have a cold drink and lie down" is out of date.
This is the single most important thing on the page.
A higher-chance result from the combined or quadruple test means exactly that — a raised probability. The majority of women who receive one go on to have a baby without the condition.
Even NIPT, which is far more accurate, is still a screening test. A positive NIPT result should be confirmed by CVS or amniocentesis before any irreversible decision is made. People have made decisions on NIPT results alone, and that is not what it is for.
It screens for nine conditions and nothing else. It is not a general test of your baby's health, and a normal result says nothing about anything outside those nine.
Some results come back as carrier status — for sickle cell in particular — which has no effect on your baby's health but has implications for future pregnancies and for the wider family.
A "refer" result usually means fluid in the ear, not deafness, and most babies referred hear perfectly well on retesting. It is nonetheless a distressing letter to receive.
A confirmed diagnosis does not oblige you to any particular decision. Some parents choose to continue the pregnancy, some do not, and both are legitimate. You are entitled to information, time, and support in either direction — including from Antenatal Results and Choices, an independent charity that supports parents whichever way they decide.
No. Every one is offered, not required, and you can accept some and decline others.
Declining one does not mean declining the rest, and it should not affect the rest of your care. If you feel pressured, say so.
No — and this is the answer that matters most here. A higher chance is a probability, not a diagnosis.
Most women who get a higher-chance result have a baby without the condition. The next step is NIPT, which is much more accurate and carries no risk to the pregnancy.
No. It is a very good screening test, not a diagnostic one.
A positive NIPT result should be confirmed by CVS or amniocentesis before any irreversible decision. This is important and it is sometimes not made clear.
Yes — without hesitation. All three are treatable, and treatment in pregnancy dramatically reduces the chance of the baby being affected.
Syphilis in particular is at its highest UK level since 1948, and untreated it causes stillbirth and lifelong harm. It is three tubes of blood taken at the same time as everything else.
No. It looks for 11 specific physical conditions.
It cannot detect most conditions affecting the brain, hearing or vision, and some heart problems are missed. A normal scan is reassuring rather than a guarantee.
Because that timing gives the most reliable results across all nine conditions.
If it was missed, it can still be done later — ask your health visitor rather than assuming the chance has gone.
Nine conditions: sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, congenital hypothyroidism, and six inherited metabolic conditions.
It is not a general health check for your baby, and a normal result says nothing about anything outside those nine.
Almost certainly not. A referral most often means fluid in the ear from birth, and the great majority of babies pass on retesting.
It is a distressing letter and usually an unremarkable outcome, but do attend the follow-up.
It means your baby has one copy of a gene and is perfectly healthy. Carrier status does not cause illness.
It does have implications for future pregnancies and for other family members, and genetic counselling is available to talk it through.
Your midwife and the fetal medicine team, and you can ask for more time before any decision.
Antenatal Results and Choices is an independent charity supporting parents through exactly this, whichever way you decide. They do not push a direction, which is precisely why they are worth contacting.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469
Last reviewed
August 30, 2026
On this page
Ongoing
Time to be seen
Appointment length
Your NHS record in the room
Written treatment plan
Told when a test isn’t needed
Cost
Same day, usually
20 minutes
Yes, with your consent
Included
Yes, and told why
£40 for 20 minutes
Varies by practice
Typically 10 minutes
Yes, your full record
Not routinely
Usually
Free
Same day
Often 10 to 15 minutes
Usually not
Sometimes charged
Varies by provider
Often a subscription
Same-day access is usually available, from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week. You choose a time that suits you rather than waiting on hold at 8am.
Yes. Care is led personally by Dr Mohammad Khan, so you are not passed between clinicians. Continuity is the point of a small practice: someone who knows your history and is listening attentively rather than working through a checklist.
Yes, with your consent. We can access your Summary Care Record during the consultation, so your current medications, allergies and significant history are in the room. That means fewer questions you have already answered elsewhere, and safer prescribing.
No. We are not here to replace GPs, only to support them. Your NHS practice remains responsible for your ongoing care, and with your consent we write to them after the consultation. We are useful when you need to be seen sooner, or want more time than a standard appointment allows.
Twenty unhurried minutes and a comprehensive assessment. A written treatment plan is included, along with any prescription, sick note or referral letter arising from the consultation, at no extra charge.
£40 for 20 minutes, self-pay. Membership is optional and never required. Priced for fairness, because we are not here to charge extortionate amounts for access to a doctor.
It means the diagnosis can usually be made from your history and photographs, and that treatment can be arranged safely without examining you. Where a condition is not marked treatable online, it is because examination is the diagnosis — listening to a chest, feeling an abdomen, examining an ear or a joint — or because a procedure or device is needed.
Yes, where there is a genuine bacterial infection — cellulitis, impetigo, bacterial urine infections, confirmed strep throat. We will also frequently tell you that you do not need one. Most sore throats, coughs, colds and earaches are viral, and an antibiotic gives you the side effects with none of the benefit.
If your problem turns out to be genuinely outside what we can do remotely, the doctor will tell you straight away, point you to the right service, and refund your fee in full. We would rather do that than fill twenty minutes to justify the charge.
Call 999 or go to A&E — do not book an online appointment and do not wait for a reply to an email. For urgent problems that are not emergencies, NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, online or by phone, and can direct you to the right service.
Patient reviews
