A new report, ‘Five Years of CQC Maternity Inspections‘, published by Caesarean Birth shows that 56% of NHS Trusts set target rates for how women give birth, and 47% set specific target rates for caesarean birth.
Over two years, author and journalist Pauline Hull reviewed 312 Care Quality Commission (CQC) maternity inspections of 130 NHS Trusts, and while the report itself makes for a sobering read, it is tempered somewhat by the statement received from the CQC today.
Health Editor of The Times, Chris Smyth, has covered the report and CQC response here:
(September 8) Natural-birth targets ‘put lives of mothers at risk’
(September 11) Hospital inspectors ordered to stop criticising caesarean rates
Report Full Title:
“Five Years of Care Quality Commission (CQC) Maternity Inspections (2013-2018)
Part 1 TARGET RATES
CAESAREAN BIRTH AND PROMOTING NORMALITY”
CAESAREAN BIRTH - Your Baby, Your Body, Your Life, Your Choice 
I think the idea is to target normal births and promote them as much as possible. So a woman in a long labour who wants a natural birth isn’t cut open to help a doctor get home earlier.
I had a friend who went to a hospital with a 30% c-section rate. She was scared.
LikeLike
Then why not make the target the number of women who feel that their birth choices were respected? There are women on both sides of the argument. As Lady Hale pointed out in the Montgomery judgement, ‘normal’ birth is not morally superior. It is a woman’s choice how she gives birth.
LikeLiked by 2 people