Labour and delivery routines in English consultant maternity units

A survey of midwifery policies in English Health Districts shows that consultant maternity units vary in the extent to which aspects of care during labour and at delivery come within the scope of unit policies. In addition, the details of policies vary considerably, to the extent that a midwife moving from one maternity unit to another might find herself dealing with a policy that was diametrically opposed to that in the unit from which she had come. The implications of these variations are discussed.