Lumbar epidural analgesia in labour: a 24-hour service provided by obstetricians.

Of 309 consecutive cases of epidural analgesia provided by obstetricians, 250 set up by junior obstetric staff. Midwives managed the epidural analgesia and gave the top-up doses as part of their traditional role in providing pain relief in labour. This practice was thought to be influential in producing a high sponn epidural analgesic service can safely be provided by obstetricians in a small maternity hospital.