Quality standard
This quality standard covers the care of pregnant women or pregnant people who are considering having or may need to have a caesarean birth, including those who have had a caesarean birth in the past. It includes decision making, reducing the risk of complications and care after a caesarean birth. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.
In March 2021, this quality standard was updated to align with our updated guideline on caesarean birth. Terminology and definitions have been updated and statement 7 was removed. For more information, see update information.
How to use NICE quality standards and how we develop them
Quality standards help you improve the quality of care you provide or commission. They apply in England and Wales (see the UK government website and Welsh government website). Decisions on how they apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland are made by ministers in the Scottish government and Northern Ireland Executive.
Find out how to use quality standards and how we develop them.