A HEALTH trust's bid of almost £100,000 to set up a Down's Syndrome screening service for all pregnant women in its area is still in the balance.

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust's initiative would mean all expectant mothers in East Lancashire receiving screening for unborn babies with the condition.

East Lancashire Health Authority, which is being asked to pay for a service which is already available in the Burnley Trust district, threw the issue open to specialist consultation before making a final decision.

But responses were so diverse - ranging from overwhelming support to clear doubt that the cost could be justified - that the authority still has no clear direction.

A report to Wednesday's health authority meeting says that while consultation showed very mixed views, the inequality in access between Burnley and Blackburn Trusts is widely felt to be unacceptable.

And without any national guidelines on the issue, members are being asked to choose from a list of options.

These range from various levels of testing to doing nothing until national guidance is clear. The report says the substantial variation in the level of service provision around the country is unlikely to be tolerated by the Government.

It goes on: "Given the uncertainties about national guidance on this topic it is still not clear what practical steps the health authority should take.

"However there are good reasons for avoiding further delay in making a definitive response to the Blackburn development proposal.

"The issue of equity should be addressed while taking into account local views about the relative priority of this service."

At present Burnley NHS Trust provides screening for all its patients - without additional health authority funding - whereas trusts in Blackburn, Bury, Rochdale, Airedale and Preston only screen high risk women.

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