The maternity assessment unit is a unit within maternity that sees any anyone with urgent pregnancy issues, as well as providing some ongoing planned monitoring and scans. You can find us on Level 4 of the Leazes Wing.
How does it work?
To ensure the safety of all women and babies, we carefully assess each woman on arrival, to treat those who need urgent care first.
- We aim to see all women within 15 minutes of arrival. The most urgent cases will be seen first.
- After an initial assessment by a midwife, you may be asked to return to the waiting area.
- A more detailed assessment may follow – which will include tests, if needed.
- If you feel you need to be seen more quickly, please speak to a member of staff straight away.
The maternity assessment unit does not have beds. It has:
- 4 adjustable chairs with electronic fetal monitoring equipment (CTGs)
- 3 assessment rooms with CTGs in them and toilets.
- 1 assessment room
- 1 toilet
There is a small waiting room just outside the maternity assessment unit with a toilet. There are also some vending machines you can use if you wish.
People are seen in the maternity assessment unit are seen in order of clinical need and not in order of arrival. After an initial assessment, if you are in need of a review by our medical team, you will be seen as soon as they are available.
Criteria
There are many reasons you may need to visit the maternity assessment unit. We have explained some of them in more detail on other pages but examples may be:
- Your baby isn’t moving as much as it usually does
- Vaginal bleeding
- Waters breaking (Membranes rupturing) before 37 weeks or in a high risk pregnancy
- Contractions before 37 weeks or in a high risk pregnancy
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Pre-term rupture of membranes protocol
- Routine monitoring whilst awaiting a growth scan
- A mental health crisis
Visiting
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the visiting policy may frequently change based on what is happening nationally as well as Trust guidance. Full details can be found here.
If either of you have symptoms of COVID-19, please call 0191 282 5748 to tell us about this before you attend.
Students
As a teaching hospital we will often have students from various specialities come to the maternity assessment unit to gain experience during their studies. They could be:
- Midwives
- Doctors
- Paramedics
- Nurses
- Occupational therapists
The students can be at various stages of their training and may be male or female. They always appreciate your permission to watch or participate in any part of your care as this experience is vital to their training. It is your decision as to whether you will allow any student to participate or watch any or all of your care or whether you would like to decline students altogether.
