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Table 3 The timing and duration of transfer 1

From: Duration and urgency of transfer in births planned at home and in freestanding midwifery units in England: secondary analysis of the Birthplace national prospective cohort study

 

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Freestanding midwifery unit

 

Median

IQR

Median

IQR

Time to decision to transfer 2 (hours)

    

All transfers

4.7

(2.3, 7.7)

5.3

(2.9, 8.7)

Transfers during labour (before birth)

5.0

(2.3, 8.0)

5.4

(2.8, 8.8)

Potentially urgent3 transfers (before birth)

5.4

(2.8, 8.0)

5.2

(2.7, 8.2)

Non-urgent4 transfers (before birth)

6.6

(4.3, 9.5)

7.5

(4.8, 10.2)

Transfers after birth

4.0

(2.3, 6.0)

5.2

(3.2, 8.1)

Arranging transfer 5 (mins)

    

All transfers

20

(10, 30)

24

(15, 35)

Transfers during labour (before birth)

19

(10, 30)

20

(14, 32)

Potentially urgent transfers (before birth)

15

(10, 25)

20

(10, 30)

Non-urgent transfers (before birth)

20

(13, 30)

25

(15, 38)

Transfers after birth

25

(15, 40)

30

(15, 45)

Potentially urgent transfers (after birth)6

20

(14, 30)

25

(15,39)

From departure to first OU assessment 7 (mins)

    

All transfers

25

(16, 35)

31

(25, 42)

Transfers during labour (before birth)

25

(17, 35)

30

(25, 40)

Potentially urgent transfers (before birth)

24

(15, 30)

30

(24, 40)

Non-urgent transfers (before birth)

27

(20, 36)

35

(25, 45)

Transfers after birth

28

(15, 38)

33

(25, 45)

Potentially urgent transfers (after birth)

30

(20, 44)

30

(20, 40)

Overall transfer time 8 (mins)

    

All transfers

49

(35, 65)

60

(45, 75)

Transfers during labour (before birth)

45

(35, 60)

55

(45, 70)

Potentially urgent transfers (before birth)

42

(30, 55)

50

(40, 65)

Non-urgent transfers (before birth)

50

(37, 65)

60

(50, 75)

Transfers after birth

55

(40, 77)

65

(50, 89)

Potentially urgent transfers (after birth)

54

(40, 70)

60

(45, 75)

Time to birth after transfer 9 (hours)

    

Transfers during labour (before birth)

3.0

(1.2, 7.0)

3.3

(1.4, 7.4)

Potentially urgent transfers (before birth)

1.6

(0.8, 3.0)

1.6

(0.8, 3.1)

Non-urgent transfers (before birth)

5.4

(2.6, 8.8)

6.3

(3.5, 9.3)

  1. 1Weighted to allow for different durations of data collection.
  2. 2Time from start of care in labour to decision to transfer.
  3. 3Fetal distress (1st or 2nd stage or stage not specified), failure to progress in the 2nd stage or antepartum haemorrhage (excluding those where timing of transfer was missing or inconsistent).
  4. 4Failure to progress in the 1st stage or epidural request (excluding those where timing of transfer was missing or inconsistent).
  5. 5Time from decision to transfer to start of transfer (when woman left planned place of birth).
  6. 6Postpartum haemorrhage.
  7. 7Time from start of transfer to first assessment by midwife or obstetrician in receiving OU.
  8. 8Time from decision to transfer to first assessment by midwife or obstetrician in receiving OU.
  9. 9Time from first assessment by midwife or obstetrician in receiving OU to birth (transfers before birth only).