Wye Valley NHS Trust

We have introduced a new maternity electronic patient record system.  This means that we no longer use paper forms for recording information about your maternity care. It only applies to the maternity service, which is from your first point of contact with one of our midwives through to when you are discharged from the care of your midwife to a health visitor.  Our midwifery team now record this information on the new electronic system online on a computer or iPad.   This means that we can access information about your maternity care in one place, safely and securely at all…

A video with some tips on how you can prepare for labour and birth. We provide antenatal education through The Real Birth Digital Programme. Please see the information below to find out more. The Real Birth Digital Programme  Birth Preparation Workshop This Course is FREE for you to access. It is available in English, Welsh, Polish, Portuguese, Urdu, Tamil and Arabic. The course includes breathing and massage techniques. You can access your course through your Digital Notes or a QR Code provided by your Midwife, or you can scan the QR code below to access the course.   What is the Real…

During your maternity journey, you see staff in different coloured uniforms. Here is an explanation of what these different colour uniforms mean.   Red tunic - Pictured right is Justine Jeffery, Director of Midwifery and pictured left is Susan Hughes, Deputy Director of Midwifery  Navy tunic with red piping - consultant midwife Navy tunics – midwife in charge The midwife caring for you will be keeping the midwife in charge updated on what is happening during your labour. If she has any concerns or needs any support then she will ask the midwife in charge to come into your room.…

  Training for General Practice  Why not come to our beautiful county and join our local Vocational Training Scheme for General Practice?  Herefordshire has a well-established training programme. The hospital experience is based  at Hereford County Hospital in the heart of the city of Hereford, and  surgery-based jobs are within the county and within easy reach of Hereford City. We have a mixture of rural and city training practices and you are usually able to spend time in both. The half-day release programme takes place on the hospital site at the Post-Graduate Medical Centre. We have a high ratio of…

Patient research at Wye Valley NHS Trust

We recognise that mobile phones and other devices such as tablets are essential to maintain communication with friends, family and loved ones. However, in a hospital/healthcare setting they can sometimes be a nuisance to other patients, visitors and staff and pose a risk to privacy and dignity, especially if information, images and recordings are posted on social media. This includes taking photos of Wye Valley NHS Trust community staff working off site/in patients homes/ in care homes. Mobile phones, tablets and other devices that connect to the Internet can be used across Wye Valley NHS Trust’s hospitals/healthcare settings unless the Trust specifically advises you that their use is restricted in certain areas or circumstances. The Trust has policies and guidance in place to protect the confidentiality and privacy of people, staff, patients and visitors which includes the use of social media.

Welcome to Wye Valley NHS Trust outpatient services. We aim to provide a quality of care we would want for ourselves, our family, and our friends. Outpatients refer to those who have an appointment in a hospital or clinic but do not need to stay overnight. Such appointments could be for treatment, diagnosis or a procedure. Outpatient clinics and appointments are held at various locations across our hospitals and community sites, including at Hereford County Hospital, Ross, Leominster and Bromyard Community Hospitals, and community clinics. View the map for Hereford County Hospital. Please find below information to help prepare you for…

In preparation for your caesarean section Before your elective caesarean section, a couple of pre-operative tests will need to be undertaken. These will include a swab looking for MRSA. MRSA is a bacteria often found on the skin and in the nose of healthy people but can cause infections after surgery. This will be done 4 to 6 weeks prior to your surgery usually at one of your hospital appointments. A blood test needs to be carried out to check that you are not anaemic. A sample will be kept in case you need a blood transfusion during or after…

COVID-19 Osteoporasis information for public   What is Osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is the term used to describe bones when they become ‘porous’, when the struts which make up the mesh-like structure within bone start to disappear. This leads to a reduction in bone strength and an increased risk of fracture after injuries such as a low impact fall. These broken bones or ‘fragility fractures’ can occur in different parts of the body, although the wrist, hip and spine are most commonly affected. Osteoporosis is thought to affect 1 in 3 women and 1 in 7 men during their lifetime. It is…

Aromatherapy is a great way to individualise your birth environment and to help you feel more relaxed.  Relaxation is key in labour, as this can help you release more oxytocin - the love hormone which helps labour progression. The use of aromatherapy in labour and birth has been found to reduce the need for stronger forms of pain relief. One study found that the need for opioid pain relief reduced from 6% down to 0.4% (Burns et al, 2000). Aromatherapy is a complementary therapy that uses essential oils, derived from plants, for their therapeutic benefit.  The benefits are wide-ranging and…