Reduced fetal movements describes a reduction in the usual amount of movements your baby makes, a loss of movements or weaker movements.  There are a few reasons why you might feel your baby’s movements have changed, if baby is in a different position, if you are in a different position or where the position of your placenta is, for example, if your placenta is at the front of your tummy then you might feel less movements. You will probably have started to feel your baby move from around 16 to 20 weeks of pregnancy and from around 32 weeks you…

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…

The 4 basics Below is a very simple and quick outline on four basic principles that help with sleep. Get a Routine and Relax A ‘winding down’ routine can help prepare the body mentally and physically for sleep. Cut down distractions, especially electronic ones Think of 2-3 restful and soothing activities to make into a routine and signal ‘almost bed time’Example: Warm bath & gentle relaxing stretches, then get into bed. Write any worries, niggling tasks or concerns on a piece of paper before getting into bed and set it aside for the morning/ another day to resolve. Practice breathing…

Sleep is often viewed as one of the top 3 issues for people we see at the pain self-management service, and because sleep is so necessary to our health and general well-being it makes it a high priority in establishing the best quality of sleep possible. Click on the links below for helpful information The 4 basics  How to sleep well with pain Getting a good night's sleep Sleep problems guide The 4 basics Below is a very simple and quick outline on four basic principles that help with sleep. Get a Routine and Relax A ‘winding down’ routine can…

Mindfulness Do you feel that you are in a daily battle with your pain? Is your mind full of thoughts, fears, frustrations or muddle? Do you feel like you are always rushing? Do you hate the idea of “accepting your pain” or “coming to terms with it”? Mindfulness can help you find a calmer way to live life despite having pain. What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is merely paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally.  It is based on meditation practice which helps you Allow your mind to settle more in the present moment…

We are a consultant led service, providing anaesthesia for over 15,000 surgical cases per annum. We strive to deliver the highest standards of care, working in close conjunction with other departments in the hospital. We embrace innovation and continually deliver care within clinical governance guidelines. Outline of the Department Our department has state of the art equipment to ensure that we provide the best clinical care to our patients. This includes ultrasound machines to facilitate pain relief blocks and Doppler monitors to assess patients under anaesthesia. Among our team of consultants who all deliver anaesthesia to surgical specialties, we have…

There is now strong evidence to say that homebirth is as safe as giving birth in hospital with many other psycho-social benefits.  Hutton et al (2019) state that ‘The risk of perinatal or neonatal mortality was not different when birth was intended at home or in hospital’. The Birthplace Study which involved 17,000 cases showed that homebirth is just as safe as giving birth in hospital for second or subsequent births. A possible explanation for this is that labouring in hospital is much more likely to involve interventions, which can interfere with normal physiology and cause further problems such as…

The Intensive Therapy Unit has six beds and provides both High Dependency (level 2) and Intensive Care (Level 3). We are able to provide all forms of multi-organ support for critically ill patients. We provide an Outreach service, staffed by experienced critical care nurses. This allows early intervention in critically ill patients, ward staff education and ITU patient follow-up. We are part of the Birmingham and Black Country Critical Network and submit data to the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC). This ensures that we regularly review the outcome of our patients and ensures the provision of a…

Inform the dental team of your Rheumatology condition and any medication that you may be taking. This is important as it can affect the choice of treatment or how it is carried out. If you are having an invasive dental procedure you will need to stop your biologic medication before and after the procedure under the advice of the Rheumatology team. Please seek advice from the Rheumatology Advice Line on how to do this, as different biologic medications have different time frames to stop. NRAS – Oral Health - https://nras.org.uk/resource/oral-health/

General Scans (including x-ray, MRI and CT scan) Please note that depending on scan you had, there is usually a time gap between having the scan and the results becoming available to us. Once the report has been made available, the clinician will receive a copy, this will then be reviewed and you will either receive the results via a results letter, telephone call or be informed of the results at your next appointment. Bone Density Scan/DEXA queries - 01432 364 189.