Women should pay for epidurals in NHS hospitals

British women who have epidurals in NHS hospitals should be made to pay for them, unless there is medical reason for them having one. That's the opinion of the Royal College of Midwives which says that too many women are relying on epidurals solely as a form of pain relief.

One in five pregnant woman in the UK have an epidural during labour. The treatment in a private hospital costs up to £500.

Sue Macdonald, chairman of the education and research committee of the Royal College of Midwives council said: "There is quite a lot of research around which suggests that although it is an effective form of pain relief, an epidural means women will spend longer pushing the baby out of the birth canal and are more likely to need some other intervention. Epidurals have become a kind of norm for a lot of women. Sometimes women think, "I just want to get rid of the pain, how fantastic".'

• What do you think about this? Should women have to pay for epidurals? Should the NHS have to fund medically unnecessary pain relief in labour? Talk about this story here.
  
• What Our Members Are Discussing Today
  
• This Week's News