Obstetrics, analgesia and anaesthesia.

A brief review of recent advances in the understanding and practive of obstetric anaesthesia and analgesia is presented. The failure to reduce maternal mortality associated with anaesthesia is related to laxity in the provision of anaesthetic services to obstetric units. The outstanding importance for the quality of life of infants and mothers, of a well-conducted obstetric anaesthetic and analgesic service is emphasized. Relating this to the needs of the community, it is claimed that the demands of obstetrics should have priority in the anaesthetic service, and that this requirement can and should be met by a redeployment of anaesthetic personnel, especially at consultant level.