The British Heart Foundation have produced lots of information and support for patients with heart and circulatory conditions. Click the relevant links to find resources such as booklets, quick guides, and videos. Conditions If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with a heart problem, you may be feeling worried, overwhelmed or anxious. Sometimes, understanding your heart problem and knowing the facts can help you come to terms with it and help you to feel less worried. Angina Atherosclerosis Atrial fibrillation Coronary artery spasm Familial hypercholesterolaemia Heart attack Heart rhythms Heart valve disease Having a test for a heart…

Stacey joined WVT pharmacy at the start of the first lockdown, back in April 2020 as an ATO and came to this role with no previous experience in a pharmacy setting. My name is Stacey and I work in pharmacy, with my current role being Lead ATO (Assistant Technical Officer) for Patient Services. I joined WVT pharmacy at the start of the first lockdown, back in April 2020 as an ATO and came to this role with no previous experience in a pharmacy setting – I actually came from a well-known coffee shop. I was initially attracted to the job that brought me to…

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…

The aim of Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is to do more of what matters to us and have the most fulfilling life we can, despite having difficulties along the way. Do you feel like your life is on hold waiting for the pain to get better? Are you stuck, wishing that the pain would just go away? Do you struggle with the idea of accepting your pain? Do you feel that pain has taken away who you used to be? ACT could help you live your life again despite having pain. What is ACT? The aim of ACT is to…

Whilst Strep A infections are usually mild, they can on rare occasions lead to a more serious infection called Invasive Group A Strep (iGAS). Parents should trust their judgement when their child is poorly. If they believe that their child has scarlet fever or seems seriously unwell, please contact NHS 111 or their GP. Parents and carers who are unsure where best to access help and treatment are encouraged to contact NHS111 by calling 111, or if their child is over the age of 5 using the online service via 111.nhs.uk Parents should call 999 or go to A&E if…

Natasha Goode - Pharmacy Administrator I was first employed almost three years ago as a Senior Assistant Technical Officer for the Pharmacy hub on AMU. A typical day for me was to dispense medication for the ward patients, carry out locker checks to determine any medication that may be required and to assist dispensary where most of our outpatient, inpatient and discharge workflow happens. I enjoyed the fact that every day would be different, learning about the medication and conditions they treated and of course the interaction with the patients and different professionals. In this time I completed my industry recognised…

You should take a lateral flow test if you have COVID-19 symptoms, even if your symptoms are mild. If you develop COVID-19 symptoms, please follow the guidelines on the NHS 111 website and temporarily stop taking your Rheumatology medication (see table below), EXCEPT for steroids (Prednisolone), Hydroxychloroquine and Sulfasalazine,until you are fully recovered. This advice applies for any infection. You may be eligible to receive anti-viral medication against COVID-19 If your test is positive, you must report your result athttps://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result  or by calling 119. Your local health board will contact you to arrange a telephone appointment with a healthcare professional who will decide whether…

Refer yourself here for maternity care If you are newly pregnant, you can now enter your details on a secure website (see link below) that will send a referral straight to our community midwifery team. You don’t need to contact your GP or make an appointment with them – we will tell them about your pregnancy. However, if you have any urgent concerns about your health during early pregnancy, please do contact your GP for advice. The best time to fill in the online form is when you are 6 to 7 weeks pregnant. We will then phone you to arrange…

‘When I arrived I was checked and I was 3cm, when I was checked again I was 4cm then I was fully very quickly, but baby was very high and back to back so I had a caesarean birth. Even though this was not a planned caesarean birth, staff were very reassuring and kept me calm. My baby needs antibiotics and it’s lovely that I can go with him when he goes to SCBU to have them. When I use the call bell staff come as soon as they can and help me’.  ‘All members of staff have made this…

Having a baby should be one of the most exciting times in your life. Sadly, we know that some babies die during pregnancy, or in the days following birth. We can only imagine this is an extremely difficult time for you and we are very sorry for your loss. All of our maternity staff are trained as part of their mandatory training to provide support and offer gold standard care to bereaved families. Our specialist bereavement midwife, Abbie Hughes, will guide you through some of the difficult choices, co-ordinate and provide individualised care throughout your journey, for as little or long as needed.  Please see below contact details for Abbie.…