Projects include:

Feasibility study for implementation in other maternity trusts if a maternity triage system (BSOTS) developed during the CLAHRC pilot

Development of Training Package to support the wider implementation of BSOTS

Currently there is no established system within maternity care for the initial assessment (or triage) of women and their babies when they attend for an unscheduled visit. CLAHRC researchers (Sara Kenyon) together with BWH (Nina Johns- obstetrician) have developed a system which standardises the initial assessment of the woman’s clinical condition when she attends and prioritises the order in which the women are seen. The system is called the Birmingham Symptom specific Obstetric Triage System (BSOTS) and it was implemented in April 2012 at BWNFT. Initial evaluation found that more women were seen and assessed with 15 minutes of arrival and that those who needed to saw a doctor quicker. The midwives also liked the system, after initial changes were done.

We are now rolling the system out to two other maternity units (University Hospitals North Midlands and New Cross Wolverhampton) to make sure it is working before going on to plan a more rigorous assessment.