Numbers and proportions of women giving birth in UK midwifery units since 2016: a secondary analysis of data reported to the UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS)

Newman, Tabitha, Dennis, Rebecca, Fitzpatrick, Kate, Heazell, Alexander E. P., Kenyon, Sara, Sanders, Julia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5712-9989 and Rowe, Rachel 2026. Numbers and proportions of women giving birth in UK midwifery units since 2016: a secondary analysis of data reported to the UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS). Midwifery 157 , 104776. 10.1016/j.midw.2026.104776

Preview

PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (458kB) | Preview

Abstract

Background: Choice of planned place of birth for women at ‘low risk’ of complications is a longstanding UK policy commitment. Planned birth in a midwifery unit (MU) is safe for babies and associated with better outcomes for women. From 2010–2015 the number of MUs, and the proportion of births in MUs, increased. Aim: We aimed to provide evidence about UK MU provision and utilisation between 2016–24. Methods: Secondary analysis of data from six studies conducted using the UK Midwifery Study System (UKMidSS), January 2016 to January 2024. We used monthly data about the number of women admitted to and/or giving birth in each MU and monthly national birth statistics to estimate the number and proportion of births in MUs. We used modified Poisson regression to compare proportions over time in alongside midwifery units (AMUs), adjusting for calendar month and number of participating open MUs, overall and by nation of the UK. Findings: The percentage of births in UK AMUs declined from 11.8% in Study 1 (2016) to 5.4% in Study 6 (2023). The chances of giving birth in an AMU were 47% and 56% lower during Study 5 (2021–2) and Study 6 respectively, compared with Study 1, and was not explained by changes in the number of MUs. There was some variation between nations of the UK. Conclusion: A dramatic reduction in the number of women giving birth in MUs has occurred since 2016, and particularly since 2021, with serious implications for women’s outcomes and for midwifery skills and experience.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Healthcare Sciences
Additional Information:	RRS policy applied
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0266-6138
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	25 March 2026
Date of Acceptance:	12 March 2026
Last Modified:	25 Mar 2026 12:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/186012

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item