Mums to be from across Dorset are set to benefit from a new telephone service that is being launched in April.
From Monday 11 April the Dorset Maternity Labour Line will be operated by midwives 24 hours a day, 7 days a week offering advice and support to women who think they are in labour. The service will also support women who are concerned about reduced fetal movement and unexplained pain or bleeding.
Local Midwife Linda Patten from Poole Hospital is the face of the campaign to help raise awareness of the new service; “As a local midwife I am really proud to be part of this new service and think it will make a big difference to women at what can be a scary time. We find that women are more relaxed in their own homes, so one of the aims of the Labour Line is support women to stay at home for as long as possible before going to the ward.
The Labour Line is staffed by experienced midwives 24 hours a day, so we hope that local mums to be can have the confidence to call us when they are in the early stages of labour or have any concerns about their pregnancy.”
Women in Dorset can access the service by calling 0300 369 0388.
Maternity leads from Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset Hospital Trusts have worked with NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group and South West Ambulance Service Trust (SWAST) to provide the new service across all of Dorset following the successful implementation of this scheme in Hampshire two years ago, which has award winning results.
Currently in Dorset, women in labour get advice from a number of different avenues such as community midwives, delivery suites, assessment units and labour wards.
The successful Hampshire service helped to give women the confidence to consider a home birth, and found they were able to prepare hospital staff better for the arrival of women when they had used the Labour Line.
The new free phone number will be available to women in labour from 8am Monday 11 April.
For more information about the labour line visit www.dorsetlabourline.nhs.uk
