Quality standard
Quality statement 8: Post caesarean birth discussion
Quality statement 8: Post caesarean birth discussion
Quality statement
Women or people who have had an emergency or unplanned caesarean birth are offered a discussion and are given written information about the reasons for their caesarean birth and birth options for future pregnancies.
Rationale
While women or people are in hospital after having an emergency or unplanned caesarean birth, it is important to discuss the reasons for the caesarean birth with them and their partners so that they know what this means for them when planning their family, including birth options for any future pregnancies. Because women or people and their partners receive a large amount of information during the immediate postnatal period, this information should be provided both verbally and in written formats.
Quality measures
The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.
Structure
Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that women or people who have had an emergency or unplanned caesarean birth are offered a discussion and are given written information about the reasons for their caesarean birth and birth options for future pregnancies.
Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from patient records.
Process
The proportion of women or people who have had an emergency or unplanned caesarean birth who have had a discussion and were given written information about the reasons for their caesarean birth and birth options for future pregnancies.
Numerator – The number in the denominator who have had a discussion and were given written information about the reasons for their caesarean birth and birth options for future pregnancies.
Denominator – The number of women or people who have had an emergency or unplanned caesarean birth.
Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from patient records.
What the quality statement means for different audiences
Service providers ensure that systems are in place for women or people who have had an emergency or unplanned caesarean birth to be offered a discussion and be given written information about the reasons for their caesarean birth and birth options for future pregnancies.
Healthcare professionals ensure that women or people who have had an emergency or unplanned caesarean birth are offered a discussion and are given written information about the reasons for their caesarean birth and birth options for future pregnancies.
Commissioners ensure that they commission services that offer women or people who have had an emergency or unplanned caesarean birth a discussion and written information about the reasons for their caesarean birth and birth options for future pregnancies.
Women or people who have had an emergency or unplanned caesarean birth are offered a discussion and given written information about the reasons for their caesarean birth and birth options for future pregnancies.
Source guidance
Caesarean birth. NICE guideline NG192 (2021, updated 2024), recommendation 1.7.10
Definitions of terms used in this quality statement
Offered
The offer of a discussion should be made when the woman or person is still in the postnatal ward, with the option to provide this at a later date, if the woman or person prefers. [Adapted from NICE's guideline on caesarean birth, recommendation 1.7.10]
Discussion
An opportunity for women or people to discuss the reasons for the caesarean birth and how successful the procedure was with healthcare professionals and receive verbal and printed information about birth options for future pregnancies. The healthcare professional should be appropriately trained and experienced to provide accurate information. The level of experience needed will depend on the complexity of the case. [Adapted from NICE's guideline on caesarean birth, recommendation 1.7.10, and expert opinion]
Equality and diversity considerations
Good communication between healthcare professionals and women or people who have had an emergency or unplanned caesarean birth is essential. Treatment and care, and the information given about it, should be culturally appropriate. It should also be accessible to women or people with additional needs such as physical, sensory or learning disabilities, and to women or people who do not speak or read English. Women or people who have had a caesarean birth should have access to an interpreter or advocate if needed. For women or people with additional needs related to a disability, impairment or sensory loss, information should be provided as set out in NHS England's Accessible Information Standard or the equivalent standards for the devolved nations.