[ozmidwifery] Reducing C/S rates

[Mary Murphy]

Megan, is this the one you wanted??cheers, MM   'Thought you all might be interested in a recent posting on an NCT list that I am on.  The hospital they are talking about is St George's in Tooting, London.  Yet another example of how a different approach to childbirth can make a difference. "I think Gail posted a message a while ago saying how St George's have recently cut their CS rate dramatically (about 5%) through a variety of methods, but including abolishing the CTG admission trace, and because there is a consultant midwife, supported by the head of midwifery, who is promoting a culture of normal birth. 80% of women at George's are booked with community teams.  All women are presumed to be low-risk and booked for midwifery-led care, and don't see a consultant at all, unless the midwives looking after them decide to make a referral, or transfer them for consultant-led care.  The midwives are keen to promote home births, and women having home births are made a priority so that women are not told to come in to the hospital at the last minute due to staff shortages. St Georges have just won the APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) on Maternity award for the most increased normal birth rate."