The Welsh Ambulance Service has launched a new system to pre-alert hospital staff about maternity emergencies. The ‘red phone’ initiative allows ambulance crews to forewarn maternity units about time-critical obstetric emergencies so that receiving teams are prepared for the patient’s arrival. The clinician-to-clinician conversations – via a dedicated phone line – are designed to streamline communication between ambulance crews and hospital staff and further improve the patient’s care.
“Every second counts in an emergency, so the more information we can relay to the maternity unit, the better they can prepare by calling in the right clinicians and organising everything they need to deliver emergency care,” explained Bethan Jones, Perinatal Safety Champion and Midwife at the Welsh Ambulance Service. “The red phone enables us to do just that, acting as a single point of access to obstetric units, improving communication which in turn will enable us to deliver high-quality and timely care for the patient and their baby. “The Health Services Safety Investigations Body report published in 2022 underlined the importance of the pre-alert process in time-critical maternity situations, and this work supports a pro-active and system-led approach to developing solutions.
” Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is the fourth Welsh health board to join the initiative, joining Hywel Dda, Aneurin Bevan and Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Boards. Cerian Llewellyn,.
