Wye Valley NHS Trust

Back to Rapid Cardiology The two carotid arteries are the main vessels that supply blood to the brain. They originate from the main arteries of the body (the aorta and brachiocephalic artery) in the chest and travel up through the neck and into the skull. Atherosclerosis of the right or left carotid artery is the most common cause of a stroke. A carotid duplex scan is a technique to take a picture of these arteries using sound waves (ultrasound). A sound-wave transducer is placed gently on the neck. The walls and interior of the artery are visualised and the velocity…

If you have a flare-up of your Rheumatology symptoms and need advice, follow the steps below and we will help you: 1.     Contact the Rheumatology department: 01432 36 4020 orrheumatology.patient@nhs.net 2.     Leave a voicemail message and include following details: Your full name and date of birth Your hospital number and/or NHS number (if known) Explain that you are having a flare-up and need some clinical advice Please make sure you say you are on PIFU pathway 3.     The team will review your concerns and decide if you need a telephone or face-to-face appointment. 4.     If the team thinks you need…

I have a query regarding my biologic medication – who do I contact? You can call the Biologics team on 01432 355 444 ext. 5794 or the Advice Line on 01432 36 4020. You can also email the biologics team on wvt.rheumbiopatient@nhs.net   I have a query regarding my subcutaneous Methotrexate - who do I contact? You can call the subcutaneous Methotrexate coordinator 01432 355 444 ext. 5785.   I have been discharged from Rheumatology – how do I get seen again? If you have been discharged from Rheumatology you will need to see your GP to discuss obtaining a…

The Trust offers video consultations to some of our patients, as appropriate. The decision to offer this type of appointment will be made by a medical professional depending on your individual care needs. Video consultations are easy to use and are often more convenient for our patients. The Trust uses the MS Teams Bookings application for video consultations, which is a secure web-based platform for patients with pre-arranged video consultation appointments. The patient will receive a link either by email or text to join the MS Teams meeting and by clicking on the provided link on their mobile device or…

You should take a lateral flow test if you have COVID-19 symptoms, even if your symptoms are mild. If you develop COVID-19 symptoms, please follow the guidelines on the NHS 111 website and temporarily stop taking your Rheumatology medication (see table below), EXCEPT for steroids (Prednisolone), Hydroxychloroquine and Sulfasalazine,until you are fully recovered. This advice applies for any infection. You may be eligible to receive anti-viral medication against COVID-19 If your test is positive, you must report your result athttps://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result  or by calling 119. Your local health board will contact you to arrange a telephone appointment with a healthcare professional who will decide whether…

Membrane sweeps A membrane sweep or ‘stretch and sweep’ is when the midwife or doctor inserts two fingers into the vagina, through the cervix (if it is open enough) and uses a circular sweeping motion around the membranes in order to try and stimulate your body to release the hormone prostaglandin and create tightenings. NICE guidelines suggest that a sweep can be discussed and offered to women from 39 weeks. Although a membrane sweep isn’t a formal stage in the induction of labour process, it is still classed as a method of inducing labour and is often thought of as…

Some babies will be offered additional care or observations after birth, this is called transitional care. If you have needed to take Labetalol for high blood pressure in pregnancy If you had gestational diabetes If your waters had been broken for more than 24 hours If it was thought you might have developed an infection during labour If your baby was a low birthweight If your baby was born before 37 weeks If you had meconium stained liquor during labour If your baby is jaundiced and receiving phototherapy If you have taken drugs in pregnancy If you had known Group…

If you’ve ever dreamt of a place which brings together the convenience of living in a big city with the lifestyle associated with a home in a rural idyll, Herefordshire is the place for you. Herefordshire lies in the south west of the West Midlands, bordering Wales. It is a rural county with a population of around 178,400. Numbers are expected to grow to 193,600 by 2026. Just under half of the population live in villages and rural areas, just under a third (30 per cent) of the people live in Hereford City, and the rest (22 per cent) live…

If you have forgotten or were not able to take your Biologic drug at the right time, take it as soon as you remember. Your next dose of biologic will need to be taken with the usual time gap between injections for your type of biologic. This will mean that the day of the week you normally take your drug will change. For example, if you take weekly Etanercept, and inject on Tuesdays. You might forget to take your weekly injection on a Tuesday, but then remember on Wednesday and take it then; you would then need to change your…

What you choose to put in your body really affects how you feel and how healthy you are. Eating the right sort of foods in the right amount is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health. Eating unhealthily can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes. These conditions can increase the risk of heart and circulatory problems. There are lots of resources available to support you to understand a healthy approach to food and how to get into good eating habits that will help look after your heart health.…