Does NHS Scotland operate under NICE guidelines?

[BagCat]

Just that, really, sorry if it is a daft question Am researching ELCS due to abject, irrational fear of childbirth and am about to bring up the subject with the midwife at my next appointment. Or, actually, my 20 week scan is beforehand (next week) at the hospital where I would give birth, should I mention it then?

My hospital has targets to try and decrease primary ELCS over the next several years, which seems to contradict the NICE guidelines of eventually allowing ELCS if all avenues are exhausted?

www.sign.ac.uk/ This is the Scottish equivalent but if you are more knowledgable about the NICE guidelines, it's still fine to ask a practitioner why their decision seems to contradict them.

The main thing is that they are both the evidence base, if you see what I mean. I work in NHS Scotland and whilst we don't have to implement NICE guidelines in the same way that they do South of the border, we still do have a responsibility to provide the best care possible based on the most up to date evidence. In that sense, if there is a NICE guideline which is more recent than the SIGN one then it is more relevant. Good luck!

Bagcat, this isn't about Scotland but the situation with NI might have some relevance to your query and be of interest.

Have a read of this.
www.cesareandebate.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/news-northern-ireland-endorses-nice.html

Whilst Scotland is yet another case, it might be worth knowing, that NI is (hopefully) coming in line with the guidance even though its not technically covered.

If you do have problems, then it might be worth contacting Pauline as she's campaigning on the subject.

Thanks very much for the help, folks

I've been kinda trying to bury the whole childbirth thing in my head, total denial, but it's just becoming bigger and bigger....along with my bump. I can't ignore it anymore. Am going to arm myself with as much info as I can and hope they take me seriously.

The only guidance I can find for Scotland, and it's not even specific to differing scenarios in the slightest, is that they want to reduce primary ELCS and encourage people to go as natural as possible.

The thing is, the guidance document I found talks of as little intervention as possible, whilst the hospital maternity leaflet goes on excellence by intervening as quickly as possible to prevent undue stress/EMCS/drugs etc. Confusing to say the very least, particularly for someone like myself, going through this for the first time!