Wye Valley NHS Trust

What is an aneurysm? The aorta is the main blood vessel that supplies blood to the body. It runs from the heart down through the chest and abdomen. In some people, as they get older, the wall of the aorta in the abdomen can become weak. It can then start to expand and form what is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm, also known as an AAA or 'triple A'. The condition is most common among men aged 65 and over. Large aneurysms are rare but can be very serious. As the wall of the aorta stretches it becomes weaker and…

Service Overview The service aims to actively promote bladder and bowel continence.  We are able to identify and assess patients, give advice and best management for their incontinence needs, helping to improve their quality of life.  The service provides clinical assessment, advice and support for patients and their families.  We work closely with GPs, district nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, the dementia team, mental health, social services and care agencies to ensure a seamless service is provided.  We provide teaching to health and social care professionals.  Accessibility/Acceptability The service is offered to people four years and older who are registered with…

District nursing

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…

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…

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…