Call the midwife

A 24-hour maternity triage service has launched at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, which will give expectant mothers direct access to support from qualified midwives if they have concerns about their pregnancy.

The service includes a new triage team of experienced midwives, a triage unit within the ante/postnatal ward and a dedicated 24-hour phone number to call for help and guidance. The triage service will ensure mothers-to-be receive consistent and timely advice over the phone from a midwife who can decide whether they need to come in to the unit for further assessment. GPs and community midwives can also use the phone number to refer patients to the hospital for further examination.