A single phone number is to be introduced by Hull’s maternity team for anyone looking to contact the service.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will launch the new number – 01482 311500 – on Monday 22nd May 2023.

The move comes after a recent visit from the Care Quality Commission, when women and families using maternity services reported difficulties getting through to speak to someone.

Lorraine Cooper, Director of Midwifery for the Trust said: “Those expecting a baby will come into contact with so many teams and departments during their pregnancy journey that it can be difficult to keep track of all the various departments and how to contact them. Similarly, expecting a baby in the family can be both an anxious and exciting time so it’s understandable that both those expecting a baby and their partners or family members will need lots of reassurance or questions answering.

“Feedback we received from the CQC’s visit in March suggested callers were having problems getting through to our wards and teams, either because phones were going unanswered or because they couldn’t get to speak to someone in the right area or service.

“By introducing a single number for the maternity service, we hope to make it easier for anyone wanting to contact our wards, departments or any other part of the service to speak to a member of the team.”

The single number will connect callers to a recorded message in the first instance, where they will be asked to select from a number of different options. Once a ward or service is chosen, a ‘hunt group’ system will be used to find the next available phone line which is free to take calls, rather than directing callers to a single number which could already be engaged.

“We hope this move will make it easier for people to get through and to speak directly to someone in Women and Children’s, but we are open to more feedback about how it’s working once the number goes live,” Lorraine adds.

Feedback can be provided through the ‘Ask a Midwife’ direct messaging service on Facebook or Instagram.

Anyone experiencing a medical emergency, such as severe bleeding during pregnancy, should always call 999.