Too posh to push! Mothers in some areas of the country are 9 TIMES more likely to undergo a C-section, official figures reveal
- 38.1% of all births at Cambridge University Hospitals FT are elective Caesareans
- In contrast, the rate is just 3.6% at the Dorset County Hospital FT, figures reveal
- The NHS statistics come amid record numbers of planned Caesareans in the UK
Pregnant women giving birth at hospitals in England’s most exclusive postcodes are nearly nine times more likely to have C-sections.
Official figures have today revealed nearly a third, or 38.1 per cent, of all births at Cambridge University Hospitals FT are elective Caesareans.
In contrast, the rate is just 3.6 per cent at the Dorset County Hospital FT, according to NHS England data.
The statistics come amid record numbers of planned Caesareans in the UK, with older mothers receiving the brunt of the blame.
Women carrying children in their late 30s and 40s are known to have more complex pregnancies, and are advised to undergo a C-section.
Thousands of women, like Call The Midwife star Helen George, are also opting for the procedure because they wish to minimise the pain they endure during childbirth.
Official figures have today revealed nearly a third, or 38.1 per cent, of all births at Cambridge University Hospitals FT are elective Caesareans
WHICH TRUSTS HAVE THE HIGHEST RATES OF PLANNED C-SECTIONS?
31.8% – Cambridge University Hospitals
27.2% – Worcestershire Acute Hospitals
24.7% – Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals
21.1% – Countess of Chester Hospital
20.4% – Royal Surrey County Hospital
19.4% – Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
19.2% – Southend University Hospital
19.1% – Guy’s and St Thomas’
18.7% – Dartford and Gravesham
18.4% – The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals
WHICH TRUSTS HAVE THE LOWEST RATES OF PLANNED C-SECTIONS?
3.6% – Dorset County Hospital
7% – Royal United Hospitals Bath
7.5% – Barnsley Hospital
8% – Chesterfield Royal Hospital
8.6% – Ipswich Hospital
8.8% – North West Anglia
9% – The Royal Wolverhampton
9% – Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals
9.1% – Colchester Hospital University
9.1% North Cumbria University Hospitals
The NHS England data released today, collected from 128 providers, is based on the 44,619 babies born in April.
The overall rate of planned C-sections was 13.2 per cent across the country. But when including emergency procedures, it jumps to 28.9 per cent.
ARE THERE RISING RATES OF OLDER MOTHERS IN THE UK?
The proportion of women over 40 giving birth in England and Wales has trebled in the last 30 years, from 4.9 per 1,000 in 1984 to 14.7 per 1,000 in 2014.
The average age for a woman to have her first child in the UK is now 30. A staggering one in 25 of all UK births is now to a mother over the age of 40.
Older mothers, obesity and a fear of childbirth are driving record numbers of Caesareans, according to experts.
Last year almost 28 per cent of women who gave birth had a Caesarean, a three-fold rise since the 1980s.
This included 12 per cent who had a planned Caesarean – one in eight – the remainder had one as an emergency.
The figures from NHS Digital are the highest since records began in 1980.
They also show that only half of women who gave birth last year went into labour naturally, 55 per cent.
Health experts claim the total rate should be closer to 15 per cent, which could save the NHS around £80 million each year.
C-sections cost the NHS around £1,000 more than vaginal deliveries due to the extra staff, equipment and medication that is required.
However, although usually safe, C-sections can cause blood clots, excessive bleeding and womb infections
MailOnline today analysed the figures, to discover the rates of planned C-sections were highest at Cambridge University Hospitals FT, followed by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust and Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust.
In contrast, rates were lowest at the Dorset County Hospital FT, followed by Royal United Hospitals Bath and Barnsley Hospital FT.
Professor Eugene Declercq, an expert in maternal and child health at Boston University, previously told MailOnline: ‘Many woman want to avoid the pain of childbirth but studies show women face more difficulties after C-sections. Around 18 per cent of women still feel pain at the site six months later.’
It comes after a Mail investigation in April found a quarter of hospitals are refusing to perform C-sections unless the woman has a good medical reason.
Under NHS guidelines, expectant mothers are entitled to request the procedure if they are fearful of a natural labour.
But out of 91 hospitals, 21 admitted they did not routinely offer it to women who don’t have a medical reason, a freedom of information request by the Mail found.
Campaigners said denying women Caesareans – which goes against Nice guidelines – was ‘cruel’ when the divisive issue was exposed.
‘I FAINT WHEN I STUB MY TOE’: CALL THE MIDWIFE STAR HELEN GEORGE ON WHY SHE CHOSE TO HAVE A C-SECTION
Speaking about the birth of her daughter Wren last September, Call The Midwife actress Helene George said: ‘I’m not against natural births.
‘I’m pro whatever you feel is right for you.
‘Some people may not understand why I elected to have a C-section, but it was right for me at the time.
‘Its not because ‘I’m too posh to push’ – it’s about what I think my body is capable of.
‘I’m not good with pain – I faint when I stub my toe.’
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