oRecent evidence from national study of 6 million birth episodes describes disparities in the use of epidural analgesia: ethnic minority parturients are less likely to receive neuraxial labour analgesia than non-minority White parturients.1

oAn audit at Birmingham Women’s Hospital (BWH) showed a lower proportion of parturients of Black or Black British ethnicity received epidurals than those of other ethnicities.2

oIt is also known that twice as many ethnic minority parturients report concerns about pain and discomfort during labour as White parturients.3

oThis project aimed to:

odetermine the use of epidurals in women of different ethnicities in women delivering at BWH

oexplore local patient experience of pain management in labour, including how this might vary between parturients of different ethnicities.

oexplore reasons behind any disparities identified

omake improvements where problems are identified