A DEDICATED “Labour Line” for pregnant women is being hailed as a success – one year after it was launched by Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The 24-hour phone line, the first of its kind in the country, has now been named as a finalist in national awards, run by the Royal College of Midwives.

The line was set up by the trust last November in partnership with South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.

Caroline Brunt, associate director got midwifery and women’s health at HHFT, said: “This nomination is very exciting for us and reflects the success of the service.

“Women who are booked to give birth at home or at any of our three hospitals in Basingstoke, Winchester or Andover, now call the line when they are in labour to speak to our midwife, who is based in the ambulance operations centre at Otterbourne.”

Previously, women accessed triage and advice by telephoning their community midwives, maternity centre, delivery suite, day assessment unit or labour ward. Now, they just call one number wherever they are and whatever their planned place of birth. The new line receives an average of 35 calls per day.

Caroline added: “Meanwhile, in our maternity service across Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester, our midwives have more time to spend with women who are giving birth because they are no longer answering phones to women in labour.”

Mary Edwards, chief executive of HHFT, said the line has given more women the confidence to stay at home during the early stages of labour.

She said: “We could not have made this significant change and improvement to the way we care for women without the support and facilities provided by South Central Ambulance.

“Initially, we set up Labour Line as a six-month pilot project but its success, and the feedback we’ve had from the women who have used the service, has been fantastic, and the staff think it’s wonderful too.”