HUS to open childbirth helpline from June 10

The Helsinki-Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) decided to open a childbirth helpline from June 10, said HUS in a press release on Friday.

A single phone number will guide all who are about to give birth in the HUS region with the view to centralize helpline making it easier to arrive and to give birth.

The childbirth helpline and common situational picture will also help to prevent crowding at the labor wards.

Patients coming in to give birth will able to call the childbirth helpline instead of the individual numbers of the maternity hospitals.

The childbirth helpline, telephone number 09 471 71500, will open on June 10, 2024, at 8:00 a.m.

The phone numbers of the maternity hospitals will not be completely deactivated but calls to them will be routed to the childbirth helpline.

Patients are advised to always call the childbirth helpline before leaving to give birth.

Ensuring to provide smooth guidance, HUS would prefer that the person giving birth calls the helpline herself.

The midwife who answers the call will assess the situation and direct the patient to the appropriate maternity hospital.

The patient's wishes will be the main consideration in the choice of maternity hospital. Medical criteria and bed availability in the maternity hospitals will also be considered.

The childbirth helpline has been in testing during office hours since May 6.

“We have received positive feedback during the pilot project. The calls are taken by experienced midwives as before, but now all those who are coming in to give birth receive guidance from a single phone number throughout the HUS region,” said Satu Polkko, Nurse Director for Emergency Services in Gynecology and Obstetrics of HUS.