Record numbers of C-sections in Wiltshire last year
It was below the national average, though
Last updated 7th Jun 2022
More babies were delivered through caesareans in Wiltshire last year than ever before, figures reveal.
Of the 1,300 births recorded in Wiltshire in 2020/21 30% were delivered by C-section.
That was up from 27.4% the year before, and the highest rate since records began in 2014-15.
The figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities show the county was below the national average though.
In England, 32.5% of births during the same time were delivered by caesarean.
This rate was also a record high.
NHS England recently told hospitals to stop using caesarean section rates as performance targets as they might be "clinically inappropriate and unsafe" for patients – though these figures pre-date the move.
Following the Government's recommendation, NHS England told all maternity services to stop using total caesarean section rates as a means of performance management earlier this year.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said it welcomed the decision from NHS England, as caesarean birth targets are "not appropriate in individual circumstances".
Dr Teresa Kelly, consultant obstetrician and spokesperson for RCOG, said the national increase is due to a higher number of complex births – partly caused by the rises in both obesity rates and the average age of women giving birth:
“Childbirth is unpredictable and complications can and do arise.
"The safety and care of women during labour and birth and the safe arrival of their babies should always be the main focus, and medical intervention in some cases can be lifesaving."
Separate figures from the OHID also show that the fertility rate in England has fallen to the lowest level on record.
The general fertility rate – measured by the number of babies born for every 1,000 females aged between 15 and 44 – fell to just 55.3 in 2020, the latest figures available.
In Wiltshire, the rate was 56.6 in 2020 – down from 59.8 in 2019, and also the lowest since comparable records began in 2010.