1 in 13 babies are born prematurely (before 37 weeks) in the UK.  If you start showing signs of labour before 37 weeks you will need to ring our triage department as soon as possible and come in to be assessed.  Early labour signs can include: Your waters breaking Abdominal pain Regular tightenings Vaginal blood loss Our special care baby unit in Hereford can provide care for babies who are 32 weeks and above. Therefore if you were to go into labour before this then a transfer to an appropriate unit would be organised as a matter of urgency. Once…

Jaundice is a common condition which affects many newborn babies. It is usually mild and causes a yellow tone to the skin and sometimes to the sclera (whites of the eyes). It usually resolves after a few days and isn’t too much of a concern. However, occasionally babies will need treatment for jaundice. This is most likely to be in the form of phototherapy, but if it is severe then an exchange transfusion may be advised, this is rarer. Jaundice occurs because when babies are in the womb, they have many more red blood cells than average to allow for…

Bromyard Community Hospital - Visiting restrictions  information There are three community hospitals within Herefordshire based at Bromyard, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye. Free hospital patient and visitor parking on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day Patients and visitors of Hereford County Hospital, Ross, Leominster and Bromyard Community Hospitals, will be provided with free parking this Christmas Day and Boxing Day, December 25 and 26, and New Year’s Day, 1 January 2026.   The car park entry/exit barriers at Hereford County Hospital will be raised on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day and the pay machines will be taken out of action…

Hover the mouse over the area of the foot of interest in order to see the relevant pre-surgery leaflet. 1. Patient advice surgery booklet 2. Subungual Exostosis removal 3. Hallux Interphalangeous correction 4. Hallux Clawed Arthritic correction Lesser Toe 5. Hammer - Claw - Mallet Toe 6. Transverse Toe Deformity 7. Toe Amputation Partial 8. Toe Amputation Hallux Rigidus 9. Hallux Rigidus (Arthritis of Big Toe Joint) Reduction by Cheilectomy Procedure 10. Hallux Rigidus (Arthritis of Big Toe Joint) Reduction by Kessel-Bonney Procedure 11. Hallux Rigidus (Arthritis of Big Toe) 1st MTP Joint Fusion or Excision Arthroplasty or Joint Replacement…

Herefordshire community falls prevention service is a free service for older people who have fallen, are at risk of or are worried about falling, or have concerns about their balance. Who is the service for? The service is for people who have had falls or stumbles, who feel they are at risk of falls, or who have lost confidence and are afraid of falling. How can we help you? The Falls Prevention Service can help you to: Identify the cause of falls Prevent further falls Improve strength, balance, mobility and dizziness  Regain confidence Maintain independence How can I access the…

Emergency Department - waiting times Waiting times for our Emergency Department (ED) are available on our ED website page. Referral to treatment - waiting times We have put a number of measures in place to reduce waiting times for patients following the pandemic and the sustained pressure on NHS services.  We have provided additional capacity within the organisation, including extra procedure lists, additional clinics including at weekends, where possible, to reduce these waiting times. We also work with the independent sector and neighbouring NHS Trusts to increase the availability for patients to have procedures undertaken as quickly as possible. We…

Skin to skin Extensive research tells us the many benefits of skin to skin immediately after baby is born. It helps to regulate baby’s heartrate, breathing and temperature, reduces their stress levels, aids with their first feed, as well as enhancing your milk supply.   It has also been shown to have beneficial effects for the mother if they have experienced a traumatic birth.    A minimum of an hour skin to skin and offering baby their first feed during this time can help to realise these benefits.  However, there is no limit, as baby grows, skin to skin can…

The Recall action for Philips Respironics CPAP machines is ongoing. If you have not been contacted for a replacement machine, please get in touch with the Sleep Service to arrange this. Contact 07790981645 on Monday to Friday between 9am and 12am. Or send a text with your details and what is required Thank you for your patience.  Frequently asked questions about the recall  Should I carry on using my machine? Yes. CPAP treatment is the only treatment available for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS). The consequences associated with untreated OSAHS can include: higher risk of strokes…

Birth Story 1 – An emergency caesarean section ‘I had my daughter 7 weeks early on the 7th January 2022 by category 1 caesarean section. I had come in during the middle of the night for monitoring as baby’s movements felt very off. I had felt her move, but my gut instinct was telling me something was wrong. Thought I'd just go in and she would be fine on the monitor, put my mind at rest and I could go home to bed. Turned out baby was in distress and within an hour of being on the monitor, I had…

Birth to 2 hours During this time you will be on Delivery Suite having your well-earned tea and toast and bath while your midwife finishes all of your labour and birth notes. Following the birth of your baby the midwife will conduct an initial top to toe examination of your baby to assess for wellbeing and to identify anything unusual. The check will be performed next to you to provide information and reassurance.  4 hours to 24 hours At this point you will transferred on to Maternity Ward and handover of care will be given from your birth midwife to…