Epidurals  

FOI REFERENCE: 24423   FOI DATE: 10^th October 2024     

Request:

Please provide the following information broken down by each full calendar year 2019-2023 inclusive, and all available information for the calendar year 2024 so far:

• The total number of women in labour who requested an epidural for pain relief
• The total number of women in labour who received an epidural for pain relief
• The number of women who did not receive the epidural requested 
• The number of women who received the epidural within 30 minutes of making the request (0-30 minutes inclusive)
• The number of women who received the epidural within 60 minutes of making the request (0-60 minutes inclusive)
• The number of women who received the epidural later than 60 minutes after making the request (61 minutes and above)
• The longest recorded epidural waiting time

These figures should not include women who received an epidural during a planned or emergency Caesarean section. 

Response:

Before October 2020, epidurals were not specifically documented electronically as a form of pain relief on our previous maternity system.

The Trust began using Badgernet in October 2020, so our data goes back to that point

The Trust does not distinguish between if a patient has requested an epidural or been offered an epidural by the midwife during intrapartum care

During the antenatal period analgesia options will be discussed with the community/continuity midwife and personal choices can be reflected in the birthplan.

Analgesia options will continue to be discussed and offered during intrapartum period with the midwife providing care. They can also be requested by the birthing person

Assumptions:
Patients who delivered between 06 Oct 2020 00:00:00 and 31 Dec 2023 23:59:59
Place of Delivery is Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Women who received an epidural excluding all Caesarean Sections

Year	Total number of women
Oct 2020 – Dec 2020	163
2021	573
2022	628
2023	625