Triage
The Maternity Triage Service is an assessment unit designed to provide advice, support, and reassurance for women who are pregnant or have recently given birth.
Our team consists of experienced clinical specialists who assess women from 16 weeks of pregnancy onwards. Depending on your individual needs, you may be referred to another specialist area, such as the Delivery Suite, maternity ward, or an antenatal clinic. A midwife is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide advice and support.
The Triage Service carries out assessments for both mother and baby, including:
- Maternal observations (such as blood pressure, pulse, and temperature)
- Fetal wellbeing monitoring
- Blood tests and other investigations where required
- Assessment of pregnancy-related concerns and complications
We also provide guidance and direct access to specialist services for women who may be in labour or require urgent or emergency care, such as vaginal bleeding, reduced fetal movements, or other pregnancy concerns.
When to Contact Us
If you are 16 weeks pregnant or more and have any concerns about your health or your baby’s wellbeing, please contact the Triage Service. You can speak to a midwife at any time, day or night, who will assess your concerns and advise you on the most appropriate next steps.
Waiting Times
Please be aware that women are assessed and prioritised according to clinical need rather than on a first-come, first-served basis. On arrival, you will undergo an initial assessment using the Birmingham Symptom-specific Obstetric Triage System (BSOTS). This assessment enables our team to determine the urgency of your condition and ensures that women requiring immediate or emergency care are seen as quickly as possible.
As a result, waiting times can vary depending on the number of women attending the service and the severity of their symptoms. Women with more urgent clinical needs may be seen before those who arrived earlier. Our staff will keep you informed throughout your visit and will reassess you if your condition or symptoms change while you are waiting.
A junior doctor is always present within the unit, with consultant support readily available from the nearby Delivery Suite when required. This system helps us provide safe, timely, and appropriate care to all women accessing the service.
Postnatal Support
The Triage Service also provides advice and support following the birth of your baby. This includes guidance on infant feeding and breastfeeding concerns. Postnatal support is available for mothers and babies up to six weeks after birth.
Our priority is to ensure that you and your baby receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
The service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Triage telephone number: 01922 656967
We ask if possible that patient contact the department prior to attendance. If this is not possible due to access to telephone/ delay in call answering within the department please do attend without delay.
Access is recommended via the Maternity Services Entrance which may be accessed via Wilbraham road. Emergency drop off is available directly outside.
Patients may also park on Patient Car Park B, the Maternity Entrance is on the other side of the road to the right hand side.
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Access from main entrance
If accessed from the main entrance, please follow route 127. This involved heading up to the 1st floor and continuing past costa to the next right hand turn. You will pass Antenatal Clinic on your left, please continue to the end of the corridor where you will find Delivery Suite and Maternity Triage at the end of the corridor.
Service Leads
Mikaela Dzioba, Labour Ward Manager
Email: M.Dzioba@nhs.net
Joelle Booth-Davis, Matron for Maternity Inpatients
Email: Joelle.booth-davis@nhs.net
Access to Maternity Triage
Patients may self-refer to Maternity Triage, but also may be referred from GP’s and other Maternity Services.
Whilst we ask that all patients contact the department via the dedicated telephone number, 01922 656967, where possible, we understand that this may not always be feasible. Patients experiencing abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, reduced fetal movements, feeling unwell, or loss of fluid/discharge are advised to attend the department without delay and should not postpone seeking care if they are unable to access a telephone or experience delays in having their call answered.
Please note one support person may attend with each patient only due to capacity and space within the department. If delays in attendance are expected due to childcare/ transport concerns, please discuss this with the Midwife when contacting who will be able to advise on urgency and expected timeframes.
Referrals are via a GP or A&E department. Patients can also self-refer but an initial Triage assessment is required over the phone to determine what level of care is requiresd. Patients may then be advised to attend for further assessment. When attending, please note you are allowed one person with you throughout your time here.
Following your assessment by a midwife, dependant on the urgency of the care you require you may find that you could experience up to a four hour wait.
If Birthing at City:
Triage/Labour Ward: 0121 507 4181
Serenity Birth Unit: 01215075655
Community Midwives Office: 0121 507 3774
City Antenatal Clinic Appointments: 0121 507 4387
Sandwell Antenatal Clinic: 0121 507 3675
If Birthing at New Cross
Maternity Ward: 01902 694 035
Midwifery Led Unit: 01902 694 033
Appointments: 01902 694 074
Ante-Natal Clinic: 01902 695 145
Pre-Natal Assessment: 01902 695 145
Ultrasound: 01902 695 920