Number of babies born at hospitals in Peterborough area rises by 20 per cent in a decade
The number of babies delivered at hospitals in and around Peterborough has risen by 20 per cent over the last 10 years, according to new figures.
The latest maternity data from NHS England shows there were around 5,740 babies delivered in the year to March at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which is responsible for Peterborough City Hospital, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford and Rutland Hospital.
This was a slight increase on the 5,565 a year before on the number of babies born and a 20 per cent rise from 4,783 over the last decade.
All recent figures are rounded to the nearest five.
The data also shows 45 per cent of deliveries in North West Anglia Trust were caesareans, and 25 per cent were emergency caesareans.
These figures were 27 per cent and 18per cent in 2015 respectively.
Nationally, there were 542,235 births recorded in the year to March, a slight fall from 545,149 a year earlier, but a 15 per cent decline since 2015.
Across England 45 per cent of births were delivered by caesarean in the year to March – up from 27 per cent a decade earlier.
An NHS spokesperson said the increase in caesarean births is influenced by many factors, including women's choices, higher rates of pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, obesity or high blood pressure, and more pregnancies involving medical complications.
They added: "The priority should always be the safety and wellbeing of both mothers and babies, and decisions about how a baby is born are made through informed discussions that consider individual circumstances, clinical advice and a woman’s preferences, ensuring the safest and most appropriate approach for each birth."
Dr Alison Wright, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said there were "varied and complex factors" contributing to the increase in caesareans.
She added: "we must ensure that services are appropriately prepared, with the right staffing levels, training and facilities to manage increasingly complex births and increasing interventions."
The North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust has been approached for a response.