NHS Maternity Statistics, 2008-09
Publication date
December 11, 2009
Resources
Summary
Associated tables can be found on the HESonline website.
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) contains a wide range of maternity information which has been published annually since 2000-01. The publication includes details of all births taking place in NHS hospitals (in England) excluding home births and those taking place in independent sector hospitals. This includes a wide range of information such as details of how the baby was born (method of delivery), complications, birth weight and gestation.
This information was historically reported separately from other HES data because it has a number of unique characteristics and issues which do not affect other aspects of the data. More information about these issues can be found in the maternity topic paper on HESonline. Following a public consultation exercise in 2007 and changes in methodology, it is now possible (since 2006-07 data) to publish maternity HES data alongside inpatient and outpatient data on HESonline.
For the 2008-09 publication, the data has been released in two phases, this has enabled us to release headline maternity statistics in a timely fashion and deliver the remaining tables approximately 6-8 weeks later. This is an interim approach and will be reviewed before the 2009/10 publication is released, following consultation with users.
Phase one
The following tables were released in phase one:
| Tables released in phase one | |
| Table 2 | Place of delivery by strategic health authority of treatment |
| Table 22 | Complications recorded during the delivery episode |
| Table 26 | Total, singleton, twin and higher order multiple deliveries by gestation and birth status |
| Table 27 | Deliveries by length of gestation and method of onset of labour |
| Table 31 | Method of onset of labour by NHS trust and site |
| Table 32 | Method of delivery by NHS trust and site |
| Table 33 | Selected statistics by NHS trust and site |
| Table 34 | Count of delivery episodes by NHS trust. |
Phase two
These were selected using the HES online website statistics for number of downloads of each table within the publication. The following tables have been released in phase two:
| Tables released in phase two | |
| Table 1 | Place of delivery 1989-90 to 2008-09 |
| Table 3 | Reason for change of delivery location by intended and actual location, 2008-09 |
| Table 4 | Person conducting delivery by Strategic Health Authority of treatment, 2008-09 |
| Table 4A | Person conducting delivery, 1989-90 to 2008-09 |
Table 5 | Method of delivery by person conducting delivery, 2008-09 |
| Table 6 | Anaesthetics used before or during delivery by method of onset of labour and method of delivery, 2008-09 |
| Table 6A | Anaesthetics used before or during delivery, 1989-90 to 2008-09 |
| Table 7 | Method of onset of labour, 1980 to 2007-08 |
| Table 8 | Method of onset of labour by Strategic Health Authority of treatment, 2008-09 |
| Table 9 | Method of delivery, 1980 to 2008-09 |
| Table 10 | Method of delivery by Strategic Health Authority of treatment, 2008-09 |
| Table 11 | Method of delivery by method of onset of labour, 2008-09 |
| Table 12 | Method of delivery by method of onset of labour; summary table, 2008-09 |
| Table 13 | Method of delivery and method of onset of labour by ethnic group, 2008-09 |
| Table 14 | Number of caesareans; length of stay and anaesthetics, 2008-09 |
| Table 15 | Deliveries with episiotomy by method of delivery, 1975 to 2008-09 |
| Table 16 | Deliveries with episiotomy by method of delivery and Strategic Health Authority of treatment, 2008-09 |
| Table 17 | Duration of antenatal stay by Strategic Health Authority of treatment, 2008-09 |
| Table 17A | Duration of antenatal stay, 1989-90 to 2008-09 |
| Table 18 | Duration of postnatal stay by Strategic Health Authority of treatment, 2008-09 |
| Table 18A | Duration of postnatal stay, 1975 to 2008/09 |
| Table 19 | Duration of antenatal stay by method of onset of labour and method of delivery, 2008-09 |
| Table 20 | Duration of postnatal stay by method of onset of labour and method of delivery, 2008-09 |
| Table 21 | Delivery episode duration, 2008-09 |
| Table 23 | Deliveries with selected complications by method of onset of labour and method of delivery, 2008-09 |
| Table 24 | Complications during non-delivery obstetric episodes, 2008-09 |
| Table 25 | Births with complications, 2008-09 |
| Figure 1 | Gestation period in weeks at first antenatal assessment date, 2008-09 |
| Table 28 | Singleton and multiple deliveries by birth weight and birth status, 2008-09 |
| Table 29 | Birth weight by ethnic group, 2008-09 |
| Table 30 | Singleton, twin and triplet deliveries by gestation and birth weight, 2008-09 |
| Table 35 | Unassisted deliveries, 2008-09 |
| Figure 2 | Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancies that resulted in an NHS hospital stay, England, 1990-91 to 2008-09 |
| Figure 3 | Ectopic pregnancies that resulted in an NHS hospital stay by age, England, 2008-09 |
| Figure 4 | Miscarriages that resulted in a hospital stay by age: rates per 100 deliveries, 2008/09 |
Key facts
Phase one:
- There was no significant change in the caesarean rate from 2007-08 to 2008-09, with the rate of caesareans being 24.6 per cent in both years (154,814 in 2008-09 and 153,406 in 2007-08).
- 20.2 per cent (108,617) of labours were induced, compared to 20.4 per cent (94,422) in 2007-08.
- The number of instrumental deliveries increased by 0.1 percentage points, accounting for 12.2 per cent (76,742) of all deliveries, compared to 12.1 per cent (75,253) in 2007-08.
- In 2008-09, 48.8 per cent of deliveries took place in what are designated consultant wards, compared to 44.7 per cent in 2007-08 and 40.4 per cent of deliveries taking place in combined consultant / midwife / GP wards compared to 43.6 per cent in 2007-08.
- Over half (50.3 per cent or 231,209) of all deliveries occurred between 39 and 40 weeks' gestation, compared to 49.4 per cent (163,092) in 2007-08
Phase two:
- Almost three quarters (74.0 per cent, or 243,215) of women with spontaneous deliveries spent a day or less in hospital after delivery in 2008-09, compared to 74.1 per cent in 2007-08
- More than a third of women (36.5 per cent, or 182,279) had an epidural, general or spinal anaesthetic during labour. The equivalent figure was 36.5 per cent in 2007-08
- 44.4 per cent (157,672) of White women's babies weighed 3,500g (7lb 11oz) or more compared with 35.0 per cent (9,734) of Black women's babies and 23.9 per cent (12,740) of Asian women's babies. In 2007-08 the proportions were 44.7 per cent for White women, 35.1 per cent for Black women and 23.8 per cent for Asian women.