During labour various assessments can be used to ensure your labour is progressing normally and your baby is not experiencing difficulties.  One thing we recommend is listening to your baby’s heartbeat. During labour when the uterus (womb) contracts the maternal blood flow does not flow as freely through the placenta and your baby has reduced oxygen supply.  This is completely normal and babies are able to adjust to this without any problems.  Occasionally babies have difficulty in adjusting and this may be reflected in the pattern of the heartbeat. Methods of monitoring Before we start to monitor your baby the…

The risks associated with induction of labour

Back to Cardiac Services Cardiology Cardiology is the medical speciality dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the heart. Cardiologists are specialists in diseases of the heart. The biggest area of heart disease treated is coronary artery disease e.g. angina. Also treated are abnormal heart rhythms, heart failure, high blood pressure and some rarer conditions. Cardiologists usually treat heart disease with drugs. Some of them are also able to provide treatment for coronary heart disease with coronary angioplasty (a procedure by which the arteries of the heart are widened). If heart surgery is required, a cardiologist…

We are committed to reducing the impact on the environment from our activities, wherever possible, whilst at the same time improving the quality of care to our patients and service users and their carers.   We have already taken a number of steps to reduce our carbon footprint at our sites and further steps are underway. These include introducing new technologies to help reduce our carbon emissions at our sites and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels for a greener future.   Green Plan The Trust's Green Plan outlines projects, schemes and activities which will lead the Trust  towards its target of…