NICE launches guidance on birth settings safety

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has launched its second consultation relating to recommendations for birth settings, part of the institute’s wider guidance on birthing safety.

Settings included in the guidance are homes, birthing centres and other institutes run by midwives, and hospital wards run by consultant doctors.

The NICE has asserted that women should be allowed to choose the site of birth following discussions with healthcare workers to better inform their choice.

Further recommendations call for the NHS to have transparent local protocols and monitoring procedures for safe birthing irrespective of setting.

Andrea Sutcliffe, deputy chief executive at NICE, commented that the high volume of response received to the institute’s first consultation on this issue highlighted the importance of deciding the correct guidance on this matter.

“It is essential we provide midwives and doctors with guidance so they can support women when choosing where to give birth,” she said.

She added that the final guideline would be issued later in 2007, following the receipt of input from stakeholders in NICE.

In April 2005, Rosie Hospital at Addenbrooke’s announced the opening of a midwifery-led birth unit that aims to offer women giving birth in hospital aspects of the “home birthing experience”.