MSDS provider and region level data
Due to an error found in data processing, we have removed some data in the MSDS csv file at provider and region levels for the Booking and Delivery based measures. As a result, the usual Power BI dashboard has not been produced for this publication.
We are investigating the scale and impact of this issue and will provide an update when possible.
It is likely this will also affect the MSDS csv data file and Power BI dashboard in previous NHS Maternity Statistics annual publications which should be used with caution.
16 December 2025 09:30 AM
HES maternity data for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Additional data quality notes regarding HES maternity data for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have been added to the 'Known issues' section on the Further information page and the HES Provider Level Analysis file.
4 March 2026 11:00 AM
Summary
This is a publication on maternity activity in English NHS hospitals. This report examines data relating to delivery and birth episodes in 2024-25, and the booking appointments for these deliveries. This annual publication covers the financial year ending March 2025.
Data is included from both the Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) data warehouse and the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). HES contains records of all admissions, appointments and attendances for patients admitted to NHS hospitals in England. The HES data used in this publication are called 'delivery episodes'. The MSDS collects records of each stage of the maternity service care pathway in NHS-funded maternity services, and includes information not recorded in HES.
The MSDS is a maturing, national-level dataset. In April 2019, the MSDS transitioned to a new version of the dataset. This version, MSDS v2.0, is an update that introduced a new structure and content - including clinical terminology, in order to meet current clinical practice and incorporate new requirements. It is designed to meet requirements that resulted from the National Maternity Review, which led to the publication of the Better Births report in February 2016. This is the sixth publication of data from MSDS v2.0 and data from 2019-20 onwards is not directly comparable to data from previous years.
This publication shows the number of HES delivery episodes during the period, with a number of breakdowns including by method of onset of labour, delivery method and place of delivery.
It also shows the number of MSDS deliveries recorded during the period, and provides counts of term babies with breakdowns for the general condition of newborns (via Apgar scores), skin-to-skin contact and baby's first feed type - all immediately after birth. There is also data available in a separate file on breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks.
Annual information on 'Smoking at Time of Delivery' for 2024/25 is available as part of the SATOD publication for Q4 of 2024/25, with dual reporting for the final time from both the historic ‘Smoking at Time of Delivery’ collection and the MSDS. This includes national data broken down by maternal age, ethnicity and deprivation. A link to the SATOD publication series can be found in the links below. From 2025/26, MSDS will become the official source of 'Smoking at Time of Delivery' information.
Information on how all measures are constructed can be found in the HES Metadata and MSDS Metadata files provided below.
The purpose of this publication is to inform and support strategic and policy-led processes for the benefit of patient care. This report will also be of interest to researchers, journalists and members of the public interested in NHS hospital activity in England.
Any feedback on this publication or dashboard can be provided to [email protected], under the subject “NHS Maternity Statistics”.
Key Facts
Number of deliveries in NHS hospitals
There were 542,235 deliveries during 2024-25.
Method of delivery
45% of deliveries were caesarean
Skin-to-skin contact
74.8 per cent of babies born at 37 weeks or more had skin-to-skin contact within 1 hour of birth.
Folic acid supplement
87.1 per cent of women reported taking a folic acid supplement prior to, or on confirmation of, pregnancy.
Resources
Last edited: 4 March 2026 11:00 am