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Background Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommend that telemetry is offered to any woman who needs continuous cardiotocography in labour. Methods An online survey of 168 maternity units in the UK was undertaken between November 2013 and February 2014 to determine how many units in the UK offered telemetry to women in labour and in what circumstances it was used. Findings The response rate was 62% (n=104). Some 63% (n=65) of responding units had at least one cardiotocography machine that could monitor the fetal heart via telemetry. Telemetry was used most often for women who had experienced a previous caesarean section and respondents felt that mobility and satisfaction with labour experience were most likely to be positively influenced by telemetry. Conclusion The survey gives an indication of how often and for whom telemetry is being used in the UK and describes the benefits that maternity units see for women using telemetry, such as increased choice and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]