The Admission Assessment Unit provides emergency care and assessment throughout your pregnancy for a wide range of issues.
If you are worried about anything related to your pregnancy, please consult with your GP or midwife.
If you have an urgent problem, you may contact the Admission Assessment Unit on 028 9615 1037 or 028 9615 0596 at any time and speak to a midwife.
Contact the Admission Assessment Unit immediately if you experience any of the following:
- bleeding from your vagina
- a severe headache or visual disturbance
- your baby is not moving as much as usual
- persistent abdominal pain
- your membranes rupture (waters break) or you think they have ruptured, whether or not you have contractions
- you think you are in labour
Coming into the maternity unit
Remember to bring your maternity record with you as this will inform us about your care.
The area at the front of the maternity unit is a set-down area only. It must be left clear for ambulances. You can park your car in the car park opposite the Maternity Hospital.
When you arrive at the maternity unit, please give your name and maternity record to the receptionist and brief details of your reason for attendance. As this is an emergency unit, we operate a triage system. This means other patients may be taken before you depending on the urgency of the problem.
You will then be assessed in the Admission Assessment Unit by a midwife and a care plan will be arranged. Not all patients will need to be seen by a doctor. Those who have early pregnancy problems may be referred to the Early Pregnancy Unit.
Your assessment
Your assessment will begin with triage by a senior midwife support worker. Following this, a midwife will assess your condition.
If appropriate, you may be discharged at this stage. If your problem requires medical assessment, we have a team of medical staff.
Please note that not every problem requires an ultrasound scan.
Investigations
Following assessment, you may be asked to attend other departments with different specialties. From there, you may be discharged home or transferred to a ward in the Maternity Hospital or Royal Victoria Hospital.
Our investigations can include:
- blood sampling
- blood pressure monitoring
- cardiotocography (CTG) monitoring
It can take some time to get your results.