Guideline revision
The fourth edition of the Assisted Vaginal Birth (AVB) guideline was
published in 2020.1 There were three authors, two UK
based and one in Ireland, all of whom had co-authored previous editions
of the guideline. The revision process was informed by new evidence,
correspondence from a coroner, and changes in the law (including the
Montgomery ruling on informed consent). Dissemination of the fourth
edition reflected a change in policy with publication in the British
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG). This approach increases
international reach, provides greater recognition of the work of authors
(although authorship is “on behalf of the RCOG”), and facilitates
debate through the correspondence pages of the journal.