NHS England stops limit on offering Caesarean births

Under plans to improve care for mothers and babies, the NHS in England will no longer limit the number of Caesarean sections it performs.

Up until recently, maternity units have been encouraged to promote natural births and keep the Caesarean rate to around 20 per cent.

Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, NHS England chief midwife and clinical director for women’s health Dr Matthew Joly, said in a letter to trusts in England that they were “concerned” by trusts focussing on hitting targets.

The letter went on to say “We therefore ask all maternity services to stop using total Caesarean section rates as a means of performance management, as we are concerned by the potential for services to pursue targets that may be clinically inappropriate and unsafe in individual cases.”

Last year, after the Health and Social Care Committee found 1,000 more babies would survive each year if England had safer maternity services, the government announced that £2m was being provided to research to spot early signs of distress.

Dr Jo Mountfield, vice president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, welcomed the clarification to end target-driven clinical decision making for Caesarean births, adding “These targets carry certain benefits and risks, which should be discussed with women as they choose how they wise to give birth.

“Women and people giving birth should feel supported and their choices should be respected.”

Chadwick Lawrence’s team of medical negligence lawyers have years of experience in high value and complex medical negligence compensation claims and have an excellent record.  The team is led by Tony May, a specialist cerebral palsy and birth injury solicitor, who has over 20 years experience in handling cases in which babies have been brain damaged or sustained other injuries as a result of medical negligence.  He and his team continue to represent many cerebral palsy children and young adults in medical negligence claims.  Tony also acts as a Court of Protection Deputy for many of the cerebral palsy and brain damaged clients that he has represented, so we can continue to support you after your case is settled.  Tony can be contacted by email on tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk.  Alternatively, please call and speak to any of Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist medical negligence Legal Aid and no win, no fee solicitors for free legal advice on Freephone 0800 304 7382