Wye Valley NHS Trust

Breech presentation is when a baby’s bottom or feet are lying at the base of the womb.  Breech presentation happens in 3-4% of pregnancies.  Many babies will be breech throughout pregnancy, but the majority will turn to be head down by 36-37 weeks. There are a few reasons which may contribute to why your baby is in the breech position: If you have too much fluid or too little fluid around the baby If this is your first pregnancy If you have a multiple pregnancy If your placenta is low lying in the womb In rare cases where the baby…

It is important that you make your complaint as soon as possible after the event. Under the NHS Complaints Procedure a complaint must be made not later than 12 months after: The date of the event which is subject of the complaint; or The date on which you realised you had something to complain about. The above time limit will apply if the Trust is satisfied that you have good reasons for not making the complaint within the time limit. How can I make a formal complaint? You can contact the complaints department through various different channels; Telephone us: 01432…

The Recall action for Philips Respironics CPAP machines is ongoing. If you have not been contacted for a replacement machine, please get in touch with the Sleep Service to arrange this. Contact 07790981645 on Monday to Friday between 9am and 12am. Or send a text with your details and what is required Thank you for your patience.  Frequently asked questions about the recall  Should I carry on using my machine? Yes. CPAP treatment is the only treatment available for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS). The consequences associated with untreated OSAHS can include: higher risk of strokes…

As a team we always strive to provide a high standard of care.  We want to ensure that you have the best possible experience. Your feedback will help us to improve our maternity services and celebrate our successes with those members of staff who looked after you.  How to tell us we did well If you would like to tell us about your experience of our service where we’ve done well or if there is a member of staff you would like to thank and/or receive recognition for the care they provided, please let a member of our maternity team know…

We are passionate about women having a positive experience and individualised care. Feedback from families is essential for us to continue improving our service. You will find that on each ward that you visit there are QR codes, which lead to surveys about the care you’ve received. We really appreciate any feedback you give us, be it positive or something we need to work on. This section will explain how you can give feedback, read some birth stories from people who have received care from us and learn more about the Maternity Voices Partnership. We are proud to report that our Maternity Service…

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…

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…

Gestational diabetes If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it is because it has been found that you have a higher than normal level of glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream. It is called gestational diabetes because it has been found whilst you are pregnant.  In a small amount of cases, it may be that a woman has undiagnosed diabetes, not caused by pregnancy.  The only way to know this is after your baby is born.  If your blood glucose remains high or uncontrolled postnatally then it is likely you have type 2 diabetes, your GP will check this at…

The advice below is for anyone who is pregnant and needs information about measles. It includes what to do if you have any symptoms of measles, or if you have been in close contact with someone who has measles. If you need to access maternity care and you have measles symptoms or you have been in close contact with someone who has, please phone ahead. This includes if you are coming to hospital in labour, as well as the Maternity Triage or routine appointments in the hospital or community. This will help us to provide care for you in the most…

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…