Wye Valley NHS Trust

Job Title: Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon Qualifications Mr Oakley studied Medicine at Glasgow University, graduating in 1991. His specialist registrar training was on the Northern Regional Orthopaedic Training Programme whilst living in Durham. In 2001, he passed his FRCS (Tr & Orth) and completed an Arthroplasty Fellowship at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, and a Trauma fellowship in Denver, Colorado, USA. He returned, as a Consultant, to Hereford in 2003. Research interests include hip and knee replacement, and arthroscopic knee surgery. Research papers on: Day Surgery Hernias (BJS) DVT Prophylaxis (BMJ) Hip Fractures (Injury) Fixation of Clavicle Fractures (EFFORT)…

There are many ways to help. However much time you are able to give, there will be a role to suit you. There are opportunities at the County Hospital site in Hereford, the community hospitals in Leominster, Bromyard and Ross-on-Wye, and also from home. Usual volunteer hours are Monday to Friday, either in the morning or afternoon.  We do, however, also have some weekend and evening roles available too. The volunteer roles we are currently recruiting for are listed below. Volunteer-Led Patient Contact Centre This is an exciting new initiative to improve communication with patients.   You will be part of…

Bronchoscopy and Thoracoscopy are procedures that are both performed in the Endoscopy Department at The County Hospital. They are both a form of investigation to examine the lungs but the way they are carried out is very different. They are both carried out by a respiratory consultant, sometimes two. In the case of thoracoscopy, there is also the addition of an anaesthetist. Bronchoscopy and Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) A bronchoscopy is a test where a Respiratory Consultant looks into the lungs using a flexible tube with a camera and light at one end. This procedure is performed under conscious sedation which means…

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…

The third stage of labour is the time between when your baby has been born and the birth of the placenta. Your womb will continue to contract and will be reducing in size. As your womb becomes smaller the placenta will comes away from the side of the uterus and move down into your vagina. As this happens you will have some blood loss as the blood vessels that were connecting the placenta and the uterus will temporarily bleed. The blood loss reduces once the blood vessels constrict and close up the space where your placenta was attached. Physiological third…

What is an Apprenticeship? An Apprenticeship is an on-the-job training program that develops an employees’ competence in the key skills they need to perform in their job role. At the same time, apprentices get a paying job with valuable training while they work towards a nationally recognised apprenticeship qualification. What does an Apprenticeship involve? You will work in a role which will include learning on the job, and study time allocated for you to complete your qualification so you can maintain a good work/life balance. You will be fully supported throughout your Apprenticeship by your manager and workplace coach, so…

Your perineum Your perineum is the tissue between your vagina and your anus.  During birth you can experience perineal trauma/tearing.  This can be classified into four degrees of severity: 1st degree – these only affect the skin, they usually do not require any repair and heal quickly on their own. 2nd degree – these affect the skin and the perineal muscle layer, repair is usually needed. 3rd and 4th degree – 3.5% of women will experience a more substantial tear which involves the muscle that controls the anus. This degree of tear will need to be repaired in theatre. Episiotomy…

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…

Travel by car, charges and concessions

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…