The rate of operative vaginal delivery has remained fairly constant at around 10-13%1. However, there are emerging trends - for example, an increased tendency to conduct the delivery in the operating theatre, increased rate of caesarean section at full dilatation, increasing failures of operative vaginal delivery (especially using the ventouse) and reduced attempts at instrumentation2. There has also been a significant increase in the use of vacuum extraction compared with forceps delivery, so that in 2011/12 it accounted for half of the instrumental deliveries3.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/doctor/obstetrics/delay-in-labour-and-instrumental-delivery