Job Title: Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon Qualifications Mr Oakley studied Medicine at Glasgow University, graduating in 1991. His specialist registrar training was on the Northern Regional Orthopaedic Training Programme whilst living in Durham. In 2001, he passed his FRCS (Tr & Orth) and completed an Arthroplasty Fellowship at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, and a Trauma fellowship in Denver, Colorado, USA. He returned, as a Consultant, to Hereford in 2003. Research interests include hip and knee replacement, and arthroscopic knee surgery. Research papers on: Day Surgery Hernias (BJS) DVT Prophylaxis (BMJ) Hip Fractures (Injury) Fixation of Clavicle Fractures (EFFORT)…

About the Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) team The Upper GI (Gastrointestinal) Service at Hereford County Hospital is made up of a skilled and supportive team, including surgeons, specialist nurses, gastroenterologists, radiologists, pathologists, and oncologists. Together, we assess and treat conditions affecting the upper part of your digestive system, including your oesophagus (gullet), stomach, gallbladder, bile ducts, and liver. We provide care for a wide range of non-cancerous (benign) conditions, such as gallstones, acid reflux, and hernias. If a more serious (cancerous) condition is suspected, we will arrange the appropriate investigations and refer you to our specialist cancer team (Upper GI Cancer…

Herefordshire Speech and Language therapy service can offer support for the following types of feeding, eating and swallowing difficulties: Ongoing Difficulties with bottle/breastfeeding Difficulties weaning onto solid foods Restricted diet/ extreme responses to food Swallowing difficulties associated with a range of medical and developmental conditions We cannot offer support for eating difficulties which are purely behavioural in origin.  However, these can be difficult to distinguish from other types of feeding difficulty and so assessment may be appropriate to establish the nature of the eating difficulty and identify alternative sources of support if necessary. Making a referral  Parents/Carers Herefordshire Speech and…

Health chiefs in England are encouraging parents to be aware of the signs of respiratory illnesses in young children, as data from Public Health England (PHE) shows cases are starting to rise in parts of the country. Respiratory illnesses, including colds and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are very common in young children and we see them every year. Last winter, due to the various restrictions in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19, there were far fewer infections in younger people. This means many will not have developed immunity and so we may see more cases this year than in…

Same Day Emergency Care Unit (FSDEC) is an extension of the emergency department. The unit provides specialist care which focusses on providing a safe, timely discharge following a comprehensive assessment on the same day.

The third stage of labour is the time between when your baby has been born and the birth of the placenta. Your womb will continue to contract and will be reducing in size. As your womb becomes smaller the placenta will comes away from the side of the uterus and move down into your vagina. As this happens you will have some blood loss as the blood vessels that were connecting the placenta and the uterus will temporarily bleed. The blood loss reduces once the blood vessels constrict and close up the space where your placenta was attached. Physiological third…

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…

Colorectal Surgery at The County Hospital is provided by a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, gastroenterologists, radiologists, pathologists, oncologists and specialist nurses.  Outpatient assessment, investigation, treatment and follow-up are provided for all colorectal surgical conditions, including colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel conditions (crohns’ disease and ulcerative colitis), functional bowel disorders (constipation and incontinence) and anorectal conditions (fistula-in-ano, fissures, haemorrhoids etc.).  Minimally invasive (laparoscopic) colorectal surgery is well developed, and enhanced recovery is provided by a dedicated team of doctors, physiotherapists, dieticians, specialist and ward nurses and other staff.  Colorectal surgical patients are admitted to Frome ward and Primrose Unit (Elective). Day case…

Further reading  Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology: Induction of labour, information for patients https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/patients/patient-leaflets/induction-of-labour---information-for-people-who-use-nhs-services/  NICE, Induction of Labour guideline   National Childbirth Trust https://www.nct.org.uk/sites/default/files/related_documents/Newburn%20Induction%20of%20labour%20pp12-13.pdf  Why Induction Matters by Rachel Reed (Book - 2018)  MidwifeThinking.com - Rachel Reed   Inducing labour, making informed decisions by Dr Sara Wickham (Book - 2018)  In Your Own Time: How western medicine controls the start of labour and why this needs to stop by Dr Sara Wickham (Book - 2021)  Your human rights during your birth  Obstetric Cholestasis  Appendix  Risks associated with having a caesarean section include:  Higher than normal blood loss – haemorrhage Infection Injury…

The maternity ward is located on the second floor at Hereford County Hospital. If you are not wishing for an early discharge from Delivery Suite or if you and your baby need some additional monitoring or support with feeding then you will be transferred to Maternity Ward shortly after birth. When you arrive a midwife will be assigned to care for you and they will come and introduce themselves. There are also Maternity Support Workers and Healthcare Assistants on the ward who can support you and help you with baby cares. Below is some useful information about how the ward…