The maternity ward is located on the second floor at Hereford County Hospital. If you are not wishing for an early discharge from Delivery Suite or if you and your baby need some additional monitoring or support with feeding then you will be transferred to Maternity Ward shortly after birth. When you arrive a midwife will be assigned to care for you and they will come and introduce themselves. There are also Maternity Support Workers and Healthcare Assistants on the ward who can support you and help you with baby cares. Below is some useful information about how the ward…

Before labour starts, the neck of the womb (cervix) is long, firm and closed. Even before labour begins, the cervix can be drawn up and gets thinner.  The ‘latent’ phase of labour is the very first part of your labour – the early part of first stage. During the ‘latent’ phase the neck of the womb thins and opens up to about 3 to 4 cm.  The latent phase can last several days or weeks before active labour starts. This is normal. Some women have bouts of contractions lasting a few hours, which then stop and start again later or…

What is it? Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a supervised programme of exercise and education, designed for the treatment of people with a long-term lung condition who are troubled by breathlessness.  Who is it for? If you have any of the following conditions you may benefit from Pulmonary Rehabilitation: • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) • Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) • Bronchiectasis Who and where we are we? The Pulmonary Rehabilitation services within Wye Valley NHS trust is run by the Physiotherapy team who deliver the Pulmonary Rehab programme to patients throughout Herefordshire.  It is currently based off site at Hinton…

Occupational therapy provides practical support to empower people to facilitate recovery and overcome barriers preventing them from doing the activities (or occupations) that matter to them. This support increases people's independence and satisfaction in all aspects of life. "Occupation" as a term refers to practical and purposeful activities that allow people to live independently and have a sense of identity. This could be essential day-to-day tasks such as self-care, work or leisure. Occupational therapists play a critical role in helping people of all ages overcome the effects of disability caused by illness, ageing or accident so that they can carry…

Physiotherapists identify and maximise movement potential through health promotion, preventative healthcare, treatment and rehabilitation. Physiotherapy is an autonomous profession and practice is characterised by reflective behaviour and systematic clinical reasoning, both contributing to and underpinning a problem solving approach to patient centred care. Your Physiotherapist will: Assess current levels of function Identify treatment aims Devise and offer a treatment plan Liaise with and signpost to other professions where necessary Treat a wide spectrum of conditions including musculoskeletal, neurological, rheumatology, paediatrics, mental health, respiratory, palliative care and orthopaedic conditions. Accessibility / Acceptability Physiotherapy services can be accessed by all service users…

Health chiefs in England are encouraging parents to be aware of the signs of respiratory illnesses in young children, as data from Public Health England (PHE) shows cases are starting to rise in parts of the country. Respiratory illnesses, including colds and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are very common in young children and we see them every year. Last winter, due to the various restrictions in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19, there were far fewer infections in younger people. This means many will not have developed immunity and so we may see more cases this year than in…

Otoscopy – examination of the ears to identify any wax blockages, infection, etc. Tympanometry – a measurement that tests the condition of the middle part of the ear and mobility of the eardrum by making small pressures change inside the ear. Hearing assessment – see below for further information about the range of methods of hearing assessment for different ages. We will discuss any concerns you may have about your child’s hearing and any relevant medical history or family history of hearing loss. The results of the assessment will be discussed with you during the appointment You will receive a…

Due to national guidelines for dentistry the service is operating in a different way: At present we are providing dental pain relief if required for urgent treatment. You can contact our clinics (see details on right of this page) for urgent advice. We also provide weekday evening advice clinics, Monday to Thursday, 5.30pm to 8pm.  If you require urgent dental advice outside the hours listed please telephone 111. Please note at peak times patients will be triaged in line with their clinical need and the most urgent cases will be given priority; patients are therefore advised to telephone at the…

At Wye Valley NHS Trust we provide the following diagnostic tests: 1. Multi-night overnight oximetry – This involves wearing a watch-like monitor on a finger during sleep and is done at home. It is collected from the sleep clinic, worn overnight over a minimum of two consecutive nights and then returned for a recording of your night's sleep to be downloaded. 2. Limited Channel Sleep study – This is a slightly more in-depth test. It involves attending the sleep clinic for a ‘fitting’ session and then the equipment. This is worn overnight at home and returned the next day. It…

Back to Orthopaedics Mr Iain Bissell Job Title: Consultant Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeon and Associate Medical DirectorSpecial interests: Foot and Ankle SurgeryAppointed to Hereford County Hospital 2007 Qualifications Mr Bissell studied medicine at St. Bartholomew's Hospital London, graduating in 1994. His orthopaedic training was in Oxford and Southampton; completed with fellowships in limb construction with Roger Atkins and foot and ankle surgery with James Calder. Since 2007 he has offered a comprehensive Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle service, including Trauma. He has served as Clinical Director for Trauma and Orthopaedics, during which time the department expanded its’ Upper Limb and Foot and Ankle…