Anaesthetic and Maternity teams collaborate on epidural videos
29 May 2025
Anaesthetic and Maternity colleagues at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust have joined forces to create a new suite of patient information videos about epidural pain relief.
Developed in response to a dedicated survey conducted in antenatal clinics, the series directly reflects what women told the team they most wanted to know.
By focusing on their priorities and concerns, the videos aim to inform, reassure, and empower patients to make confident decisions about their care during labour and birth.
The video series addresses common myths and offers clear, evidence-based information about epidurals in a supportive and accessible way.
An epidural is an injection in your back to stop you feeling pain in part of your body, and is often used during labour and childbirth.
The videos, produced by OUH's in-house team Oxford Medical Illustration, will be shared on OUH's various social media channels and hosted on this website:
Epidurals - Maternity Services
Dr Sally Anne Shiels, Consultant Anaesthetist at OUH, said:
"We know that women often come to labour with a range of questions, concerns, and ideas about epidurals - some of which may be based on outdated or inaccurate information.
"We worked proactively with women through an antenatal survey to ask what they most wanted to know.
"That collaboration has shaped every aspect of these videos - ensuring we cover not just the clinical facts, but the emotional and psychological dimensions in a compassionate, honest way."
Videos in the series include:
- What is an epidural
- What are the benefits of an epidural?
- When is the best time for an epidural?
- What will I feel during an epidural?
Sharon Andrews, Head of Midwifery at OUH, said:
"We are delighted to be able to offer these videos as part of our antenatal education.
"Women have told us that they want to feel more confident and informed about their pain relief options, and we hope that these resources will help them feel supported and listened to."
