Making an antenatal screening request

Requests for antenatal screening should be received on a purple Down's Screening Programme request card.

One serum specimen is required for either 1st trimester or 2nd trimester antenatal screening requests.

Instructions for completion of the Oxford Antenatal Screening Laboratory request card

1. Please use patient's NHS number on all requests; it enables the department to merge results with previous records on the patient.
2. Please fill in the patient's full name and date of birth.
3. Please include the patient address: All letters are forwarded to the patient. Please do not leave this blank.
4. Please include the requestor information: including the hospital and midwife code, plus the patient's GP's name and full address on all request cards; it will enable the laboratory to telephone the results if abnormal or if the specimen is unsuitable for testing.
5. Please fill in the patient category (NHS or private), the family origin of the pregnant woman, the maternal weight and the sections for smoker / diabetic and chromosomal abnormality in previous pregnancy.
6. Please fill in the ultrasound details including scan location, date of scan, ultrasonographer ID and chorionicity.
7. Please fill out the fetal measurements: number of foetuses identified at scan, gestation time by scan, measured crown-rump length (CRL), nuchal translucency (NT) and head circumference (HC).
8. Please fill in the assisted reproduction section if relevant.
9. Please fill in the name and telephone number of the midwife, the specimen date and the name and contact telephone number of blood taker.
10. Please state which screening tests have been either declined or accepted by the patient.