Table 1 .
Characteristics of OUs
| Unit or configuration characteristic | Number of OUs (N) | Median | IQR | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size* | 35 | 2919 | (2361, 3849) | 1380 | 6490 |
| Number of delivery beds† | 36 | 10 | (8, 12) | 5 | 19 |
| Percentage of midwifery ‘under’ staffing‡ | 30 | 29.6 | (20.5, 41.8) | 4.4 | 83.6 |
| Percentage of planned non-OU births§ | 30 | 3.0 | (2.3, 7.9) | 0.4 | 37.2 |
| Percentage of planned ‘out of hospital’ births¶ | 30 | 2.4 | (1.4, 4.1) | 0.4 | 10.2 |
*Number of births in the OU (excluding those taking place in any associated AMU) April 2009–March 2010.
†Number of delivery beds or bed spaces in the OU.
‡Percentage of shifts where there was less than one midwife on duty per woman in the delivery suite.
§Percentage of births in the NHS trust planned to take place at home, in an FMU or AMU.
¶Percentage of births in the NHS trust planned to take place at home or in an FMU.
AMU, alongside midwifery unit; FMU, free-standing midwifery unit; NHS, National Health Service; OU, obstetric unit.