What's the Real Story Behind the Cesarean 'Ban' News?

I found last week's 'news' that a number of PCTs are banning maternal request cesareans very strange.

After all, the 2004 NICE Guideline already states that the request is not "on its own an indication" for surgery.

So why are PCTs suddenly re-iterating their long-established rule in such a public way?


Could it have anything to do with the fact that this autumn, NICE is changing its Guideline statement on maternal request in what promises to be a potentially controversial Update (read the full Draft here)?

Could the PCTs be trying to gain public support and put pressure on NICE ahead of this 2011 publication?

I have no evidence of any of these theories, but I do have my suspicions.

I can only hope that NICE decides to do the right thing, and pushes forward with its planned Caesarean Update, regardless of the ongoing push towards a more natural birth ideology 'for all women' that is coming from some individuals and groups.