Wye Valley NHS Trust currently works with a large number of organisations and suppliers to maintain the day to day running of the Trust. Our business partners and trading ethos Currently, we do business with over 4,000 suppliers every year and our supplier base is constantly growing. This covers all aspects of sales and service. From medical and surgical, furniture and stationery, legal and consultancy, laboratory equipment and supplies, clothing and IT to name but a few. We welcome your business and we work hard to establish long and mutually beneficial relationships with our suppliers. Always striving to exceed expectations.…

A comprehensive guide Induction of labour (IOL) is the attempt to bring on labour when a woman is not showing any signs of being in labour, it is now a commonly used intervention, with 1 in 3 women experiencing it.  As with any intervention offered in pregnancy and birth, you, as the mother have the option to accept or decline. In order to make that decision you will need up-to-date, evidence-based information about that topic. We want all women to have the same information and to empower you to make the right decision for you, your baby and your family.…

Eating a healthy diet and being physically active are especially important in pregnancy as your unborn baby has to get everything it needs to grow and develop from its mother. If your weight is higher or lower than the healthy range when you become pregnant, it can affect your pregnancy as well as your general health. Healthy lifestyle and vitamins in pregnancy What is a healthy weight? We use your height and weight to work out your body mass index (BMI). BMI Healthy range 18.5 to 25 Underweight less than 18.5 Overweight 25 to 30 Obese 30 and above During…

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…

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…

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…