Obstetric Anaesthetists Association Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

The Annual Scientific Meeting Liverpool 2026 will take place on 14-15 May 2026 at the Liverpool Convention Centre. Hosted by the Obstetric Anaesthetists’ Association (OAA), the event features two jam-packed days of obstetric anaesthesia education led by expert speakers, with ample time for discussion. The meeting aligns with the OAA’s mission to promote the highest standards of anaesthetic practice in the care of mothers and babies, providing an authoritative voice on safety in maternity services through leadership, education, information, and guidance.
Learning Objectives
Based on the scheduled sessions, participants will be able to:

Review recent advances and updates in labour analgesia and anaesthesia for operative delivery.

Examine the impact of haematology and human factors on patient protection, including platelet count guidelines for neuraxial anaesthesia and the implications of Maternal Medicine Networks.

Understand multidisciplinary care and peripartum planning for managing malignant disease (cancer) during pregnancy.

Analyze surgical evolution and international lessons regarding the rising tide of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS).

Gain insights into birth trauma from both the findings of the 2024 birth trauma inquiry and the specific anaesthetic perspective.

Evaluate current pressures and priorities in obstetrics, including innovations in the third stage of labour and the management of coagulopathy in obstetric haemorrhage and amniotic fluid embolism.

Identify and manage pain beyond the block during Caesarean section (CS) under neuraxial anaesthesia.

Target Audience

The event is intended for professionals providing maternity services and those dedicated to the safe care of mothers and babies, particularly members of the Obstetric Anaesthetists’ Association.
Best for Obstetric Anaesthetists, Obstetricians, Haematologists, Maternal Medicine Specialists, and Oncologists.

Topics
Thursday 14 May 2026

SESSION 1 – Recent advances

Update on labour analgesia

Update on anaesthesia for operative delivery

SESSION 2 – From haematology to Human Factors: protecting our patients

Platelet count and neuraxial anaesthesia: How low can you go?

Maternal Medicine Networks- what are the implications for obstetric anaesthetists?

Stop telling me to be careful: human factors and half-measures

SESSION 3 – Felicity Reynolds Free Papers

Presentation of the top free papers

SESSION 4 – Malignant disease in pregnancy

Cancer in pregnancy – multidisciplinary care and peripartum planning

SESSION 5 – The rising tide of placenta accreta – staying ahead

PAS – lessons from a high-volume Brazilian centre

The UK experience

Surgical evolution in PAS

SESSION 6 – e-Posters presentations (1st session)

e-Poster presentations

Friday 15 May 2026

SESSION 7 – e-Poster presentations (2nd session)

e-Poster presentations

SESSION 8 – Felicity Reynolds Free Papers

Presentation of the top free papers

SESSION 9 – Birth Trauma

The 2024 birth trauma inquiry – what we found and what comes next

Birth Trauma: The Anaesthetic Perspective

SESSION 10 – Bruce Scott lecture

Innovations in the third stage of labour

SESSION 11 – Obstetrics update

Management of coagulopathy in obstetric haemorrhage and amniotic fluid embolism: learning from MNSI reports

Obstetrics – current pressures, priorities and changes

Your OAA update

SESSION 12 – Prize giving

Pick of the posters

SESSION 13 – Beyond the block: understanding and managing pain during CS under neuraxial anaesthesia

The uncomfortable truth – pain during CS