LONDON -- Britain's hospitals could be set to publish key figures showing how well they perform in bringing children into the world, Health Secretary Alan Milburn said on Sunday.

"You could have information showing where there is a home birth service, what the outcomes of care were, how many Caesarians, the midwife ratio, whether it is midwife- or doctor- led. I think the possibilities are endless," Reuters quoted Milburn as telling **** The Observer ****.

"I don't say that just because we publish information it reforms the NHS (National Health Service), but without it you aren't going to have reform of the NHS," Milburn said.

Britain's Labour government has been criticized by some opponents for placing too much emphasis on so called performance league tables. Milburn said the policy was an important part of giving health service users a choice.

"Year after year we will see more publications, more openness so that patients can make more choices. What it does is fundamentally change the relationship between the service and the patient,"

he said.