Plunket line a godsend for mothers

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 543, 5 July 1994, Page 8

Plunket line a godsend for mothers

A toll-free phone number that has helped hundreds of New Zealand mothers is the Plunket Line. The number to call is 0800 10 10 67. The 0800 line is manned between the hours of 4pm and 1am by two Plunket nurses. From October that service will be increased to 24 hours. Since its introduction the service has helped hundreds of anxious mothers. Calls nationwide average around 50 a night. Waimarino Plunket Nurse Carole Harford told the Bulletin that a number of Waimarino mothers have benefitted from the service. At least one

mother uses the Plunket Line on a regular basis, she said. Whatever the problem, the trained staff that man the Plunket Line welcome the call. Advice can be obtained on a variety of subjects, including sleeping and breast feeding problems, skin conditions, milk formulas and teething. Mrs Harford stressed however, that the line is not a replacement for Plunket nurses, but rather as a back-up service, and it is not a replacement for emergency calls. If there is an emergency, the number to call is 111.

The help line is designed as a support for present services, which include four home visits in the first nine weeks, then ensuing clinic visits up until the age of four years.

Mrs Harford said she can be reached at any of the district's Plunket rooms on designated days, as well as having an answer phone service that she clears daily.