Wye Valley NHS Trust

Getting vaccinated is the most important step we can take to protect ourselves, our families and our communities against COVID-19. To find out more about COVID-19 vaccination/booster visit the website links below, which include how to book your vaccination appointment. About the COVID-19 vaccination Where to get vaccinated      

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…

Maternity triage phone number - 07990 986517, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have introduced a new telephone system within Maternity Triage to reduce unnecessary wait times and improve patient experience by allowing calls from women, birthing people and their families to be prioritised. The contact number for Maternity Triage remains the same. However, all calls in to the new system from 6 May 2025 are now recorded for staff training, audit and monitoring purposes.  How to find us Maternity Triage is located on the second floor at Hereford County Hospital. Follow the main corridor from the main entrance…

When you have diabetes, you’re more at risk of heart and circulatory disease. And poor circulation makes other diabetes complications worse-like problems with your eyes and feet. That’s why it’s even more important to take good care of your heart when you have diabetes. If you have high blood sugar levels for a period of time, even slightly high, your arteries can start to get damaged, and make them more likely to develop fatty deposits (atheroma). If atheroma builds up in your coronary arteries, this can lead to a heart attack. To help protect yourself, get your HbA1c, blood pressure…

Some vaccines, such as the inactivated seasonal flu vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine, and the whooping cough vaccine, are recommended during pregnancy to protect the health of you and your baby.  Find out more below and visit NHS vaccines during pregnancy website page. Seasonal flu vaccine Pregnant women are more at risk from seasonal flu, so it is recommended you should have this vaccine.  It is safe to have at any stage in pregnancy and your community midwife will advise you on when you can obtain it at your GP surgery.  COVID-19 vaccine If you're pregnant, or think you might be, it's…

Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health. Even if you’ve smoked for years, quitting will still reduce your risk of heart and circulatory problems. It’s never too late to quit. By giving up smoking, you protect your body from the harm of dangerous chemicals that damage the structure of the vessels, which can lead to a heart attack. If you want to quit, there is help and support available locally and nationally. You’re more likely to quit for good if you have the proper support that’s right for you. Have a look at the resources…

Coronavirus Public Health England advice Coronavirus advice  To protect our patients, visitors and staff we have implemented a zero tolerance approach to Health Care Associated Infections. Our key role is to monitor healthcare associated infection, we educate our staff, and raise awareness of infection control with our patients, visitors and the public, ensure policies are up to date and based on the best evidence; we undertake audits; and manage outbreaks. The team consists of a consultant microbiologist, a lead infection prevention nurse and four infection prevention nurses. The team is represented at the Trust Board by the Director of Nursing.…

After your baby is born your midwife will ask whether you would like your baby to have a Vitamin K supplement. It is known that newborn babies have about 30% to 60% of the vitamin K an adult would have stored in their liver. It isn’t known why this is or if there is a reason for this. However, a very small amount of babies are born very deficient in Vitamin K and go on to develop Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB). VKDB can cause bleeding from the nose, umbilicus, mouth or into the brain which can in turn cause…

Below is a list of our main community services.  This does not include every community service provided by the Trust. Friends and Family Test The Friends and Family Test. is a simple question that patients are asked about the care they have received. The test is part of a way of gathering patient feedback and driving improvement in NHS hospital services across the country. Guidance on the use of mobile phone and others device for patients and visitors  View information about our policy and guidance on mobile phones and other device use, which is in place to protect the confidentiality and privacy…

Visiting arrangements - updated - 21/05/2026 Please see below the current visiting arrangements at Wye Valley NHS Trust. Children and young people are welcome, although it is sensible to avoid bringing very young children into hospitals where possible and this needs to be discussed with ward staff in advance. Protected meal times All non-urgent clinical activity stops during mealtimes to allow patients to eat their meals in a calm and relaxing environment without unnecessary interruption. Please avoid visiting at mealtimes, unless you would like to help your relative or friend with their meal.  Guidance on the use of mobile phone and others device…