Back to Rapid Cardiology The two carotid arteries are the main vessels that supply blood to the brain. They originate from the main arteries of the body (the aorta and brachiocephalic artery) in the chest and travel up through the neck and into the skull. Atherosclerosis of the right or left carotid artery is the most common cause of a stroke. A carotid duplex scan is a technique to take a picture of these arteries using sound waves (ultrasound). A sound-wave transducer is placed gently on the neck. The walls and interior of the artery are visualised and the velocity…

It is there to improve our health and wellbeing, supporting us to keep mentally and physically well, to get better when we are ill and, when we cannot fully recover, to stay as well as we can to the end of our lives. It works at the limits of science – bringing the highest levels of human knowledge and skill to save lives and improve health. It touches our lives at times of basic human need, when care and compassion are what matter most. The NHS is founded on a common set of principles and values that bind together the…

Mindfulness Do you feel that you are in a daily battle with your pain? Is your mind full of thoughts, fears, frustrations or muddle? Do you feel like you are always rushing? Do you hate the idea of “accepting your pain” or “coming to terms with it”? Mindfulness can help you find a calmer way to live life despite having pain. What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is merely paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally.  It is based on meditation practice which helps you Allow your mind to settle more in the present moment…

The midwifery led tongue tie clinic for babies at Hereford County Hospitla offers quick and painless tongue-tie divisions to make it easier for babies to feed. Dedicated midwives are specially trained to carry out the minor procedure on babies who are up to ten weeks old. The clinic brings treatment closer to home for parents and their babies.

Regular exercise is recommended for everyone, not just people with inflammatory joint disease. Exercise can help reduce your risk of many conditions, including heart disease and many forms of cancer. It is helpful to do a mixture of aerobic, stretching and strengthening exercises. Exercising regularly can help relieve stress, help keep your joints mobile, and strengthen the muscles supporting your joints. Exercise can also help you lose weight if you're overweight, which can put extra strain on your joints. It is important to find a balance between rest and exercise. Rest sometimes makes inflamed joints feel more comfortable, but without movement…

You can find contact details for our hospitals on the Visitors and Patients page and community service contact details on Our services page.  To contact Hereford County Hospital and for general Wye Valley NHS Trust enquiries, call 01432 355444 for switchboard. Patient experience team  Please contact our Patient Experience Team if you need advice, have concerns, or don't know where to turn. We are here to help you. If you are having difficulty contacting a member of staff, department, ward or finding an email address, and you have already contacted our switchboard, you can also contact our Patient Experience Team for help.…

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…

  Training for General Practice  Why not come to our beautiful county and join our local Vocational Training Scheme for General Practice?  Herefordshire has a well-established training programme. The hospital experience is based  at Hereford County Hospital in the heart of the city of Hereford, and  surgery-based jobs are within the county and within easy reach of Hereford City. We have a mixture of rural and city training practices and you are usually able to spend time in both. The half-day release programme takes place on the hospital site at the Post-Graduate Medical Centre. We have a high ratio of…

Your information and how we keep it confidential We ask you for information about yourself so that you can receive proper care and treatment. It is very important that the information you give us is accurate and up to date. We keep this information safely, together with details of your care. Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you confidential. However, you may be receiving care from other people as well as the NHS (like Social Services). So that we can all work together for your benefit we may need to share some information…

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…