Wye Valley NHS Trust

WVT has a key part to play in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places a duty on every NHS Trust to have arrangements in place to ensure that the organisation and all staff working within it have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The Trust regularly reviews its arrangements against these requirements and is compliant with them. The Trust board takes the issue of safeguarding extremely seriously and receives an annual report on safeguarding children issues. The Trust’s Safeguarding Committee meets quarterly and monitors safeguarding…

We've created a portal for patients which brings together all the important information and leaflets that you need in one place.   What is the patient portal? The new patient portal is an online platform that allows patients to access information about their healthcare, securely via their chosen device e.g. laptop/phone/tablet. View a video about the portal by clicking here   What information/facility is available via the portal? The patient portal provides a convenient way for patients to view; Outpatient appointment details Maxims appointment letters and associated leaflets Clinical letters Relevant point of contact – telephone contact for each service…

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…

SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability)

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…

Obstetric cholestasis (OC) or Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, affects around 0.7% of pregnancies in a multi-cultural society.  If you have been diagnosed with this condition, it may have started with itchy skin, which may have been worse on your hands and feet, but can be anywhere on your body. It is caused when the bile that flows through your liver slows down or even stops.  This leads to bile acids building up in your liver, which then leak out into your bloodstream and cause itching.  Some women find that the itching is worse at night, affects their sleep and can…

Jaundice is a common condition which affects many newborn babies. It is usually mild and causes a yellow tone to the skin and sometimes to the sclera (whites of the eyes). It usually resolves after a few days and isn’t too much of a concern. However, occasionally babies will need treatment for jaundice. This is most likely to be in the form of phototherapy, but if it is severe then an exchange transfusion may be advised, this is rarer. Jaundice occurs because when babies are in the womb, they have many more red blood cells than average to allow for…

The Hereford-Muheza Link Society (registered charity 1086887) Links between Herefordshire and St Augustine’s Hospital  Muheza in north-eastern Tanzania began in 1985, and have continued and strengthened each year. The Hereford - Muheza Link Society has been a registered charity since 2002 For the past 20 years St Michael’s Hospice Hereford has adopted Muheza Hospice Care as their sister hospice. In 2021, Salisbury Hospital Wiltshire became part of a tripartite link. The main activities are: Arranging educational visits, between St Augustine’s Hospital  and Hereford County Hospital and Salisbury Hospital assisting with education at St Augustine’s.  Assisiting with administrative and financial help…

The Respiratory Department manages a significant amount of patients in the outpatient setting. This is where people are investigated, managed and monitored by attending clinics. Patients who visit from home (also called “outpatients”) are given medical treatment or advice in these clinics and often receive regular follow up. Clinics are led by a clinician that can be a doctor or allied healthcare professional with specialist knowledge about Respiratory or a sub-specialty of Respiratory. They are accessed via GPs or by other means via a healthcare provider where a request for review is made and sent to a member of the…