OBJECTIVES The number of women whose labours are induced is increasing with average rates in England in excess of 20%. A broad range of methods for induction are available, including pharmacological, mechanical and alternative interventions with considerable variation in effectiveness, safety and cost. Of the pharmacological interventions, the most commonly used are prostaglandins. However, even within this class, there are a variety of different prostaglandins with a variety of modes of administration. The aim of this piece of work is to identify the most cost-effective and safe prostaglandin for cervical ripening and labour induction in the NHS setting. METHODS A systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) of all relevant randomised trials comparing all  prostaglandins for labour induction, and a cost-effectiveness analysis represented in the form of a decision tree model incorporating cost and maternal and neonatal health outcomes.  RESULTS The NMA of randomised controlled trials comparing 11 different types of prostaglandins for labour induction demonstrated that the best treatment for achieving a vaginal birth within 24 hours was vaginal misoprostol tablet ≥50μg with a probability of being best of 53%. The safest treatment in terms of caesarean section risk was titrated (low dose) oral misoprostol solution with a probability of being the best of 63%. Giving equal weight to both outcomes, titrated low dose oral misoprostol solution had the best overall outcomes (average rank of 1.5) followed by vaginal misoprostol ≥50μg (average rank of 1.6). Cost and utility data are now being gathered to inform the cost-effectiveness analysis.  CONCLUSIONS The NMA and cost-effectiveness analysis will be of value to clinicians, pregnant women, guideline developers and policy makers within the NHS. We will discuss how the model can be extended to include other types of intervention for induction of labour.