Report shows wide variation in intrapartum care in England

Some English maternity units have double the instrumental delivery rate of others, says a new report that shows widely varying practices and outcomes among units.

The report, from the Royal College of Obstetrics and Obstetricians, concludes that the wide variation in intrapartum care is more than would be expected from random fluctuation.1 The college says that this is a cause of concern as it indicates that not all women are getting the best possible care. The report is the first of what will be an annual survey that will eventually cover the whole of the United Kingdom.

The college, in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, …