A specialist maternity triage unit is being redesigned in Grimsby to help anyone with urgent concerns or medical emergencies connected to pregnancy or birth.
A self-contained Maternity Triage Unit at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital (DPoW) in Grimsby will provide a dedicated space for anyone experiencing reduced fetal movements, bleeding or abdominal pain during pregnancy or after birth.
The redesign of the new, enclosed unit is in line with recommendations by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to give parents-to-be privacy and access to urgent, 24-hour assessments.
Nicola Foster, Head of Midwifery at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Foundation Trust, said as well as the dedicated triage space, funding has also been secured for new trolleys to transport anyone requiring emergency treatment.
She said: “We’ve had a triage space for some time but we’ve secured funding to create a separate unit, so it’s a much better experience for anyone needing the service.
“The new self-contained unit will allow our Maternity Triage team of midwives and maternity support workers to concentrate on the triage role without being summoned or distracted by work in other areas of the maternity department.”
Maternity Triage services were introduced following a Ockenden Maternity Review of services across England in 2022. The review highlighted that doctors and midwives working on labour wards were being diverted from caring for those in active labour by high numbers experiencing pregnancy-related problems.
The RCOG recommended the creation of Maternity Triage Services, acting as an emergency gateway for anyone with pregnancy concerns or concerns up to six weeks after giving birth.
The Maternity Triage Service was launched in Grimsby, initially as a telephone helpline, in October 2022 before physical spaces were created on Jasmine Ward and Ward 26 a year later. Around 16,500 people used the helpline or were seen face-to-face between 2022 and 2024.
Anyone with concerns in their pregnancy from 16 weeks can ring the helpline – 03033 306657 – and speak to a midwife 24 hours a day. They may then be invited to attend a face-to-face assessment at the hospital.
New doors are being fitted to the Triage Area on Jasmine Ward on the first floor of the Family Services building, creating the self-contained unit, and it’ll be operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.