One in two births at Milton Keynes University Hospital are caesarean sections, new data shows
Some 49 per cent of births at Milton Keynes hospital are caesareans, new data from NHS England has shown,
The latest maternity figures shows there were around 3,715 babies delivered at Milton Keynes University Hospital in the year to March – an average of more than 10 a day and a slight increase on the 3,625 from the year before.
An overall 49% of the babies were born by caesarean section, with 27% being emergency caesareans.
The equivalent figures 10 years ago, in 2015, were 30% and 17% in 2015 respectively.
Nationally, there were 542,235 births recorded in the year to March, a slight fall from 545,149 a year earlier, but a 15% decline since 2015.
Across England 45% of births were delivered by caesarean in the year to March – up from 27% a decade earlier.
Dr Alison Wright, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said there were "varied and complex factors" contributing to the increase in caesareans.
She added: "We must ensure that services are appropriately prepared, with the right staffing levels, training and facilities to manage increasingly complex births and increasing interventions."
And Nuffield Trust fellow Bea Taylor said maternal health outcomes in the UK are not equal, citing higher rates of emergency caesareans among Black and Asian women.
She added: "This raises urgent questions about equity, quality of care, and trust in the system. This matters not only for fairness but for safety."
An NHS spokesperson said the increase in caesarean births is influenced by many factors, including women's choices, higher rates of pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, obesity or high blood pressure, and more pregnancies involving medical complications.
"The priority should always be the safety and wellbeing of both mothers and babies, and decisions about how a baby is born are made through informed discussions that consider individual circumstances, clinical advice and a woman’s preferences, ensuring the safest and most appropriate approach for each birth,” they said.
The news comes after a national report found some NHS maternity units are delivering "unacceptable care"..
Baroness Valerie Amos, who is leading the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, has spoken to more than 170 families across England, including those whose babies have died because of failings in care.