Induction of labour is a common obstetric intervention that is offered to pregnant people to expedite the birth of their baby; usually to reduce the risk of poor outcomes.

Rising induction of labour rates in recent years has seen an added pressure to maternity services; meaning that sometimes the induction of labour process is delayed either in commencement or during the process while providers manage their acuity and maintain operational safety.

In response to this the South East Regional Maternity and Neonatal Team has developed some regional Induction of labour shared principles with the view of streamlining escalation and communication and supporting mutual aid between hospitals. They also include the importance of communication with service users, and the leaflet here was developed to support conversations about induction of labour delays, why they may occur and how maternity staff work to keep birthing people safe during this time.

The leaflet is translated into 28 languages, and we encourage you to share these resources widely across your networks to support maternity staff and service users to provide optimal induction of labour care.