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
Deliveries over time
This section reports on the number of reported deliveries. A delivery is the term used in HES data to describe child birth and is the ending of a pregnancy by one or more babies leaving a woman's uterus by vaginal passage or caesarean.
Within this section we explore the reported number of deliveries by women’s age group, type of delivery at both the onset and end of labour, and the frequency that anaesthetics and analgesics were administered either before or during delivery.
Percentages in the following commentary, unless otherwise stated, are based on total ‘knowns’, e.g. the percentage of caesareans is based on all deliveries with a known method of delivery, excluding those with an unknown method of delivery.
Summary of deliveries
The chart below shows how the number of deliveries has changed over the last 10 years.
There were 542,235 deliveries in NHS hospitals during 2024-25. This is a decrease of 0.5 per cent from 2023-24.
Over the past ten years the numbers of deliveries in NHS hospitals fluctuated but are now at their lowest reported level in this time.
Deliveries by age group
When comparing deliveries by age group to a base year of 2014-15, deliveries for all age groups of women have declined, although by only 4 per cent for women aged 30 to 39 years, and by 2 per cent for women aged 40 and over, compared to 2014-15.
Deliveries amongst women aged under 20 have halved since 2014-15 with 11,732 deliveries in 2024-25, compared to 23,405 deliveries in 2014-15.
Method of onset
Method of onset describes the means by which labour was initiated. Where this begins without pharmacological, mechanical, or operative intervention it is said to be spontaneous.
Spontaneous method of onset is most common as a proportion of total deliveries but has decreased from 59 per cent in 2014-15 to 42 per cent in 2024-25.
Caesarean method of onset increased from 14 per cent to 28 per cent and induced method of onset from 27 per cent to 30 per cent in the period 2014-15 to 2024-25.
Last edited: 4 March 2026 11:00 am