Wye Valley NHS Trust

An instrumental birth refers to the use of either forceps or ventouse (suction cup). An instrumental birth happens for 1 in every 8 births.   Forceps are metal instruments which fit together around your baby’s head to speed up the process of baby being born during the pushing phase.  The doctor will pull the forceps as you also push down during a contraction. Ventouse is a suction cup which is placed on baby’s head firmly and also pulled by the doctor while you push.   The choice of instrument will depend on the situation, how many weeks pregnant you are…

Pre-eclampsia usually isn’t diagnosed until at least 20 weeks of pregnancy, but it actually starts early on.  If the blood vessels in your placenta don’t embed properly into your womb, it means the blood flow from the placenta to baby isn’t as optimal as usual.  Your body tries to compensate for this by tightening all the blood vessels in your body, in order to send more blood to your baby.  This in turn increases your blood pressure and eventually the blood vessel walls will start to become damaged, creating small holes.  These holes let some fluids from your bloodstream leak…

Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is when you experience pain in your lower back, around your symphysis pubic area, between your perineum and vagina and/or down into your thighs. It can feel worse when you are doing activities such as walking, climbing the stairs, stepping out of the car, stepping into the bath, turning over in bed, getting dressed or having sexual intercourse.  The pain can feel like grinding or clicking and can impede your daily activities.  The symptoms usually become worse as baby grows due to the additional weight in your uterus and the increase of the hormone ‘relaxin’ being…

Wye Valley NHS Trust is looking for high quality, committed registered Nurses and Health Care Support Workers. If you are looking for flexible work to fit around your commitments our Nurse Bank could be just what you are looking for. We can offer regular work or occasional shifts to fit around your lifestyle. Whatever your availability we value your skills and experience and can provide you with a fantastic opportunity to work with us in a way that suits your lifestyle. What can we offer you? A fully paid Trust Induction if you need one Access to full training Flexible…

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…

Herefordshire: a great location for a great vocation! Thank you for visiting our Respiratory team’s “Work with us” page – we hope this will inspire you to find out more and come and work with us! We’ll introduce you to the team and briefly cover some of the main services and locations we work from in the beautiful county of Herefordshire.   Meet the Team Consultant team Dr Ingrid Du Rand (Clinical lead) Dr Du Rand has been with Wye Valley Trust since 2015 and was appointed as Clinical lead for the department this year.  Dr Du Rand has a…

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…

Your perineum Your perineum is the tissue between your vagina and your anus.  During birth you can experience perineal trauma/tearing.  This can be classified into four degrees of severity: 1st degree – these only affect the skin, they usually do not require any repair and heal quickly on their own. 2nd degree – these affect the skin and the perineal muscle layer, repair is usually needed. 3rd and 4th degree – 3.5% of women will experience a more substantial tear which involves the muscle that controls the anus. This degree of tear will need to be repaired in theatre. Episiotomy…

Wye Valley NHS Trust is the provider of healthcare services at Hereford County Hospital, which is based in the city of Hereford, along with a number of community services for Herefordshire and its borders. We also provide healthcare services at community hospitals in the market towns of Ross-on-Wye, Leominster and Bromyard.  The Trust exists to improve the wellbeing, independence and health of the people we serve. Our workforce of around 4,000 provides a range of specialist and generalists functions. We have strong clinical network connections with trusts in Birmingham, Worcester, Gloucester and Cardiff. With an annual turnover of around £400…

Do not attend hospital/clinic if you have COVID-19 symptoms High temperature, a new, continuous cough, a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste   Visiting arrangements - updated 30/04/25  Visiting restrictions updated at the Trust's hospitals.  The latest information on visiting restrictions, including ward closures that may be in place are listed on our visiting page. Surgical face masks for staff, patients and visitors – updated 26/2/25 Staff - staff will be wearing a face mask on a case by case basis/or on personal preference. Patients and visitors - it is patient/visitor choice regarding wearing a face mask in our hospitals/clinics. …