75 per cent of UK maternity units denying Caesareans

The BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme has reported that women at 75 per cent of UK maternity units are being denied their right to choose a Caesarean operation.

NHS guidelines, as formulated by NICE, state that women requesting a Caesarean with no other medical reason ‘should be offered appropriate discussion and support’, but that if they are making an informed choice, ‘a Caesarean should be offered’. Caesarean sections are when a baby is delivered by making a surgical cut into the abdomen and womb, either electively, at the mother’s request, planned, often for medical reasons, or as an emergency, usually of there are complications during labour.

However, of the 146 trusts that shared their policies with the Birthrights charity, 26 per cent fully complied with the guidelines, 15 per cent refused all elective Caesareans. The charity claims that pregnant women in some regions of the UK who ask about the procedure are simply told to go elsewhere.

The same guidelines also state that if one obstetrician is unwilling to perform an elective Caesarean, the woman should be referred to another who will. However, the results of the survey paint a mixed picture as, alongside the figures above, 47 per cent of trusts partially complied with guidelines, while 12 per cent of responses did not provide a clear position.

Common reasons for why women may desire Caesareans include previous traumatic births, mental ill-health, childhood sexual abuse, or having made an informed decision after examining the evidence.

Rebecca Schiller, chief executive of Birthrights, said: “Maternal request caesareans are the the number one reason women contact the Birthrights advice service. The women we support have endured previously traumatic births, physical ill-health, childhood sexual abuse or have carefully examined the evidence available and made informed decisions that planned caesareans will give them and their baby the best chance of an emotionally and physically healthy start. It is clear that women requesting caesareans meet judgemental attitudes, barriers and disrespect more often than they find compassion and support. We are concerned that this lack of respect for patient dignity could have profound negative consequences for the emotional and physical safety of women.”