Mothers' risk of bleeding after birth rises to five-year high

Women's risk of suffering severe bleeding after giving birth has risen to its highest level for five years, prompting fresh concern about NHS maternity care.

- Denis Campbell Health policy editor

The rate at which mothers in England experience postpartum haemorrhage has increased from 27 per 1,000 births in 2020 to 32 per 1,000 this year - a rise of 19%.

Last year also saw the largest number of incidents of postpartum haemorrhage - 16,780 - in the five years since records began, despite the number of births falling in recent years, NHS England figures analysed by the Liberal Democrats reveal.

In comparison, 15,780 occurred in 2023 and 15,230 in 2022, the year in which almost all trusts which provide maternity services began submitting data to NHS England.

The data cover incidents in which a woman has lost at least 1.5 litres (2.6 pints) of blood after giving birth.