Maternity Triage

Maternity triage is an allocated area of labour ward providing 24-hour care for pregnant women over 20 weeks gestation and postnatal women who have recently delivered.

At Northampton General Hospital we now use the Birmingham Symptom Specific Triage System (BSOTS), this system assesses women presenting themselves with unexpected pregnancy related or postnatal problems or concerns, and then allocates a colour code, so hospital staff can see immediately who needs to be prioritised. Women will receive an initial assessment once they have arrived and then will be prioritised based on clinical need. We ask that you call prior to attending triage so that your clinical picture can be briefly assessed over the phone by a registered professional, this ensures you attend the correct area when required.

Before 20 weeks gestation if you have an urgent concern regarding your pregnancy please contact your GP, NHS 111, or your nearest A&E.

When should I call Triage?

If you have any of the following complexities, please call triage and be prepared to come in immediately to the Triage Unit

Reduced or absent fetal movements
Unusual or severe abdominal or back pain
Severe headaches
If you have sudden and worsening itching - particularly on palms of your hand and soles of your feet
Feeling unwell, particularly if you have severe flu-like symptoms

This list is not exclusive and if you are concerned at all please call the Maternity Unit

If you think you are in labour: Labour is different for every woman but commonly starts with contractions or your waters breaking. Your community midwife will have discussed signs of labour and when to call the hospital with you towards the end of your pregnancy.

If you think your waters might have broken: This is common during or shortly before the start of labour. Some women will find it obvious when the waters have broken, and some will be less sure. If you are not sure, you can place a maternity or sanitary pad in your underwear and observe any leaking fluid. In either situation call Triage to discuss what to do next, if you are less than 37 weeks gestation, please call triage immediately.

If you notice any vaginal bleeding: Call the Triage unit immediately for advice. A ‘show’ (the mucus plug) can start coming away from the cervix days (or sometimes weeks) before you go into labour. This will have a sticky, mucousy and blood-stained appearance and is completely normal. Fresh red bleeding however is not normal. If you are at all unsure contact triage to discuss this. If the bleeding is severe call 999 for an ambulance.

Postnatal problems such as very heavy bleeding requiring more regular changing of your sanitary wear, feeling very unwell with flu-like symptoms, poor healing or excessive swelling or pain of perineal stitches or caesarean section wound.

Please note: We are happy to help with any questions regarding your baby but are unable to see babies in our triage area. If you have a concern regarding your newborn baby that cannot be addressed by your community midwife or GP, then ring 111. If urgent then you will need to take your baby to the nearest Emergency Department or call 999 if an ambulance is required.

Triage is intended for acute or emergency situations. If your concern is not an emergency or is not pregnancy/post birth related, then you should either discuss this with your community midwife at your next appointment or see your GP. Examples of this are:

You want a fit to fly letter
You require your MATB1 form
Itching on your stomach
Diarrhoea and vomiting lasting less than 48 hours unless you have a fever over 37.5°C, are not producing very much urine or have worsening stomach pains
Swollen hands and feet in the absence of other symptoms

Your visit to Triage

If, after a telephone conversation with the midwife in triage, you are advised to attend, please bring your hand-held pregnancy notes with you. This is very important so that we can see how your pregnancy has progressed up to now, your ultrasound scans and any other important documents about your care.

What is BSOTS?

If you are attending with an urgent concern, we aim to see you for an initial triage appointment within 15 minutes to carry out a brief assessment. After this, depending on the urgency of your situation, you may be asked to wait in the waiting room for ongoing care. We prioritise our patients based on their level of clinical need, not their order of arrival. This may mean that patients who arrive after you may be seen before you. We appreciate your patience and understanding—this helps us to provide safe and effective care.

Women are then seen in the following order:

Red (emergency): Seen and treated immediately.
Amber (urgent): Normally seen within 15 minutes.
Yellow (moderate): Normally seen within 45 minutes.
Green (non-urgent): Normally seen within 4 hours.

We allow one person to attend triage with you, but no children. Please make alternative arrangements for children to be cared for. If this is very difficult for you, please ask to speak to the midwife in charge before you arrive.

Triage - Contact details

Sturtridge Labour Ward, Maternity Triage. Area M. Telephone number 01604 523529

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