Emergency caesareans ‘overtake planned operations’

The performing of emergency caesarean operations is the UK is more frequent than planned caesareans, it has been stated.

According to statistics from the NHS, around 155,000 caesareans were performed between 2008 and 2009, with 15 per cent of all births in the country being delivered following unplanned operations.

The data revealed that the UK’s caesarean rate has remained fairly unchanged over the last year, but variations are most prominent when it comes the country’s different regions.

For example, caeserean operations are twice as prevalent in Chelsea and Westminster than they are in Nottingham, the figures show.

“It is disappointing that we are not seeing a drop in the Caesarean section rate, and worrying that there are such wide regional variations,” stated Cathy Warwick, general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives.

In other NHS news this week, a lack of comprehensive communication between various healthcare establishments could be putting patient safety at risk, according to a report from the Care Quality Commission.