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…

What is it? Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a supervised programme of exercise and education, designed for the treatment of people with a long-term lung condition who are troubled by breathlessness.  Who is it for? If you have any of the following conditions you may benefit from Pulmonary Rehabilitation: • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) • Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) • Bronchiectasis Who and where we are we? The Pulmonary Rehabilitation services within Wye Valley NHS trust is run by the Physiotherapy team who deliver the Pulmonary Rehab programme to patients throughout Herefordshire.  It is currently based off site at Hinton…

What will happen during my induction of labour? Your midwife will ask to take your observations (blood pressure, temperature, pulse, oxygen levels, breathing rate) The midwife will then ask to monitor your baby’s heartrate continuously for around 30 minutes on a CTG monitor Your midwife will then ask for your consent to carry out a vaginal examination to assess your cervix The midwife will then insert the prostaglandin (Propess) high in your vagina Your baby’s heart rate will then be monitored for another 30 minutes to check baby hasn’t immediately been affected To help encourage tightenings, it is important to…

Deep Vein Thrombosis This is when a blood clot forms in the deep vein of the calf, leg or pelvis. Women are more at risk of developing a blood clot during pregnancy and after having a baby and a caesarean section can further increase this risk.  Therefore it is essential to look out for possible symptoms. Symptoms can include: A red, hot swollen leg Your entire leg being swollen or a feeling of heaviness Tenderness or pain in your leg which may only be felt when standing or walking  A DVT can lead to a pulmonary embolism (PE), this is…

If you have previously given birth by caesarean section your care will differ slightly. You will continue seeing your midwife in the community setting, but will also be invited for a consultant appointment at 14 to 16 weeks and then again at 34 to 36 weeks.  A full discussion about your previous birth and current pregnancy will take place and the options for birth this time around.  Your consultant should go through the risks and benefits of both a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) and an EL LSCS (elective caesarean section).  If you decide to opt for an EL LSCS…

Women’s Health Department Patient information leaflet – Post-Menopausal Bleeding (PMB)   What is Post-menopausal bleeding? Any bleeding from the vagina after menopause. This can be light spotting, a change in discharge colour or heaver bleeding. What causes post-menopausal bleeding? There can be many different causes, including: The walls of the vagina become thinner. Small skin-tag growths (polyps) in the vagina, cervix or uterus. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) making the womb lining thicker.   Most of the time, the cause of post-menopausal bleeding is not serious, but sometimes it can be a sign of cancer of the cervix, vagina or endometrium…

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…

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…

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…

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…