HC Deb 01 March 1999 vol 326 cc551-2W
Dr. Starkey

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many caesarean sections took place in Scotland in each of the last five years; and what they were in each year as a percentage of all deliveries. [72534]

Mr. Galbraith

The information requested is as follows:

Maternities—Scotland Number and percentage involving a caesarean section;
Caesarean sections
Year ending 31 March Maternities Number Percentage
1994 61,954 9,716 15.7
1995 59,862 9,688 16.2
1996 58,478 9,604 16.4
1997 57,499 9,802 17.0
19981 57,478 10,386 18.1
1Provisional data

Notes:

1. The information shown in the table has been extracted from the Scottish Morbidity Record (SMR02)—Maternity discharge.

2. Maternities are defined as a pregnancy which results in a live or stillbirth, multiple pregnancies being counted only once.

3. In multiple deliveries individual babies may have different modes of delivery.

4. The data exclude maternities delivered at home.

From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

Dr. Starkey

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many health authorities in Scotland, and in which ones, the rate of caesarean section exceeds the WHO recommended rate. [72533]

Mr. Galbraith

The World Health Organisation (WHO) does not make specific recommendations about rates of caesarean delivery which will inevitably vary from place to place and will reflect the health and nutritional status of pregnant women and the level of maternity care provision. The rate of caesarean section for each Health Board in Scotland is as follows:

Maternities—Scotland; by Health Board area of treatment Number and percentage involving a caesarean section Year ending 31 March 1998
Caesarean sections
Area of treatment Maternities Number Percentage
Scotland 57,478 10,386 18.1
Argyll and Clyde 4,517 927 20.5
Ayrshire and Arran 3,864 770 19.9
Borders 973 169 17.4
Dumfries and Galloway 1,531 258 16.9
Fife 3,181 598 18.8
Forth Valley 3,288 536 16.3
Maternities—Scotland; by Health Board area of treatment Number and percentage involving a caesarean section Year ending 31 March 1998
Caesarean sections
Area of treatment Maternities Number Percentage
Grampian 5,996 1,064 17.7
Greater Glasgow 12,877 2,283 17.7
Highland 2,393 470 19.6
Lanarkshire 4,635 872 18.8
Lothian 9,053 1,635 18.1
Orkney 116 18 15.5
Shetland 193 10 5.2
Tayside 4,667 743 15.9
Western Isles 194 33 17.0

Notes:

1. The information shown in the table has been extracted from the Scottish Morbidity Record (SMR02)—Maternity discharge.

2. Maternities are defined as a pregnancy which results in a live or stillbirth, multiple pregnancies being counted only once.

3. In multiple deliveries individual babies may have different modes of delivery.

4. The data exclude maternities delivered at home.

5. The data provided are provisional.

From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.