Wye Valley NHS Trust

Reasons you may be offered an induction of labour  The following circumstances in pregnancy may result in an induction of labour being offered to you: Post-dates pregnancy Advanced maternal age (40 years of age or more) Suspected big baby Suspected small baby Diabetes Pre-eclampsia Reduced fetal movements IVF If your waters break before tightenings start Obstetric Cholestasis Skip to the factsheet that is relevant to you, so you can start to make a fully informed decision on whether you would like an induction of labour.  Post-dates pregnancy A term pregnancy is classed as anything between 37 and 42 weeks. The…

Infant feeding and Baby Friendly Status We are proud to be the first NHS maternity service in the West Midlands to be awarded the prestigious UNICEF Gold Baby Friendly Award in 2026, which is the highest level of accreditation.  The award recognises the maternity team’s long-term excellence in providing infant feeding support to families to a high standard, helping to ensure a positive experience, and giving babies the best possible start in life. Since first achieving Baby Friendly Status in 2019, Wye Valley NHS Trust’s (WVT) maternity team has continued to strengthen and build on this to meet UNICEF’s evidence‑based Gold standard, which is…

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…

Francis Martin, chair Frances Martin became chair of Wye Valley NHS Trust on 1 April 2026, following previous roles at the Trust as non executive director and deputy chair. Having originally trained as a mental health nurse, Frances has spent the majority of her career working in senior leadership roles in health and social care. With a lifelong commitment to enabling joined up, ‘personalised care’, her professional roles have included working in acute, ambulance, community and primary healthcare in operational, regulatory, commissioning and strategic roles. Two years as sales and operations director in a manufacturing company expanded her knowledge of the…