The Maternity Assessment Centre (MAC) at Forth Valley Royal Hospital recently hosted a Patient Safety Conversation Visit, welcoming Neena Mahal, Interim Chair, and Elsbeth Campbell, Head of Communications. Both greatly appreciated the opportunity to meet the team, learn more about the services provided, and hear first-hand about the care and support available to women and families.
Often described as the “Emergency Department for maternity services,” the MAC provides 24/7 care for women throughout pregnancy and up to six weeks after birth. The Centre includes bedded triage and day care rooms and shares two quiet rooms with the high-risk antenatal clinic and ultrasound service.
The team sees and treats women with a wide range of conditions and concerns, including reduced or altered baby movements, abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, hyperemesis (severe sickness in pregnancy), preterm labour, urine infections, suspected pre-eclampsia, and obstetric cholestasis (a liver disorder). Women under 14 weeks with abdominal pain or bleeding are supported by the Early Pregnancy Assessment Service, while the MAC provides care for women at all later stages of pregnancy.
The scale of the service is significant, with staff handling around 750 calls and carrying out approximately 800 in-person assessments every month.
During the visit, staff highlighted some of the challenges of ensuring women are assessed quickly and by the most appropriate team member. They also outlined recent improvements, including efforts to reduce the number of women attending with routine, non-urgent issues that could be managed elsewhere. Work is also underway to provide more glucose tolerance tests (used to check for gestational diabetes) in community settings, helping reduce the need for women to travel into hospital.
The visit was a valuable opportunity to showcase the vital role of the MAC team, their dedication to patient safety, and their ongoing plans to further develop services and improve the experience of women and families across Forth Valley.
