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.