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Welsh Government
Data Provider: Welsh Government Epidurals by health board providing the service
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Year[Filtered]
Measure[Filtered]
Measure1
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Area 1
Click here to sortEpidural administeredClick here to sortEpidural not administeredClick here to sortNot statedClick here to sortTotal deliveriesIn the case of a delivery of a multiple birth, any mention of an epidural is counted.
[Collapse]WalesIn 2024, Aneurin Bevan did not provide correctly recorded data for this data item so have been excluded from the analysis. Data for Wales represents the remaining 6 health boards.4,60514,3311,11320,049
WalesIn 2024, Aneurin Bevan did not provide correctly recorded data for this data item so have been excluded from the analysis. Data for Wales represents the remaining 6 health boards.Betsi Cadwaladr1,0104,15275,169
Powys01750175
Hywel Dda6852,05502,740
Swansea Bay5082,45402,962
Cwm Taf Morgannwg7823,34304,125
Aneurin BevanxNot available - In 2024, Aneurin Bevan did not provide correctly recorded data for this data item so have been excluded from the analysis.xNot available - In 2024, Aneurin Bevan did not provide correctly recorded data for this data item so have been excluded from the analysis.xNot available - In 2024, Aneurin Bevan did not provide correctly recorded data for this data item so have been excluded from the analysis.xNot available - In 2024, Aneurin Bevan did not provide correctly recorded data for this data item so have been excluded from the analysis.
Cardiff & Vale1,6202,1521,1064,878

Metadata

General description

This data is derived from the Maternity Indicators dataset which is provided to the Welsh Government by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW).
The Maternity Indicators dataset was established in 2016. It combines records from a mother’s initial assessment with a child’s birth record and enabled Welsh Government to monitor its initial set of outcome indicators and performance measures (Maternity Indicators) which were established to measure the effectiveness and quality of Welsh maternity services.
The Maternity Indicators dataset allows us to analyse characteristics of the mother’s pregnancy and birth process. The process for producing this data extract is complex largely because there can be multiple initial assessment data and records for both initial assessments and births are not always complete.
Full details of every data item available in the Maternity Indicators dataset are available through the NHS Wales Data Dictionary: http://www.datadictionary.wales.nhs.uk/#!WordDocuments/datasetstructure20.htm

Data collection and calculation

Data from the Maternity Indicators dataset only includes initial assessment data where the initial assessment and birth both occurred in the same health board, in Wales only.
Data should include all hospital births and some home births; however, due to the way data is recorded, we are unable to distinguish between home and hospital births in some health boards. Births to Welsh resident mothers who gave birth in England or in any other country outside of Wales are not included in the data.
Data for each calendar year refers to when the baby was born for both birth and initial assessment statistics. Initial assessments may have taken place in the previous year but would be counted in the year in which the birth occurred. This ensures data throughout a single pregnancy is recorded in the same year.

Frequency of publication

Annual

Data reference periods

2016-2024

Users, uses and context

These statistics will be used in a variety of ways. Some examples of these are:
• advice to Ministers
• to inform debate in the Welsh Parliament and beyond
• to make publicly available data on child health statistics in Wales
• monitoring service delivery
• policy development
• providing advice on birth choices
The main users are:
• Ministers, policy officials and the Members Research Service
• local health boards
• the public
• the research community
• students, academics and universities
• Public Health Wales and other NHS organisations
• voluntary birth organisations.

Rounding applied

No rounding applied

Revisions information

The Maternity Indicators dataset is a live database, meaning health boards can amend data for any period. For this data, DHCW take data extracts from a single point in time, for the latest calendar year. This means that if data extracts are taken for previous time periods, they may differ to the data which is published as it may have been revised by health boards. Welsh Government will not make revisions to historical data unless errors are discovered.

Title

Epidurals by health board providing the service

Last update

August 2025 August 2025

Next update

July 2026 (provisional)

Publishing organisation

Welsh Government

Source 1

Maternity Indicators data set

Contact email

stats.healthinfo@gov.wales

Lowest level of geographical disaggregation

Local health boards

Geographical coverage

Local health boards

Languages covered

English and Welsh

Data licensing

You may use and re-use this data free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government License - see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence

Keywords

epidural; pain relief; labour

Statistical quality

From 1st April 2019 health service provision for residents of Bridgend local authority moved from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to Cwm Taf. For more information see the joint statement from Cwm Taf and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Boards (see weblinks). The health board names have changed with Cwm Taf University Health Board becoming Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board becoming Swansea Bay University Health Board.
Data for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Cwm Taf are available for previous years in this table by selecting the tick boxes in the Area drop-down box.
More detailed information on the sources of data and analyses in this statistical release are provided in the quality report: https://www.gov.wales/maternity-and-birth-statistics-quality-report

In 2024, Aneurin Bevan did not provide correctly recorded data for this data item so have been excluded from the analysis. Data for Wales represents the remaining 6 health boards.