We strongly recommend that you continue your Rheumatology medication as normal, unless advised otherwise. Not taking your medication would mean you are at risk of having a flare-up, which puts you at a higher risk group than those on medication.  You should keep lateral flow tests at home.  You can use any lateral flow tests supplied by the Government. Please go to https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests  or call 119 to order a pack of lateral flow tests. Only use them if you develop symptoms. If you run out, you can order more. Please note that tests bought from a shop (including pharmacies) cannot be registered…

Registered charity number: 1058898 We are always very appreciate of any donations.   The Trust receives government funding for healthcare, and aims to provide the best possible facilities, equipment and environment for patients, services users, visitors and staff, but there is always more we can do to enhance the healthcare we provide.  We provide many healthcare services across Herefordshire and the surrounding areas; acute care, rehabilitation at community hospitals, and community services such as district nursing, school nursing and health visiting. Each year generous companies and individuals help us to raise much-needed funds and the Trust has benefited over several…

From the moment your baby is born and takes their first breath, there is lots of information that is useful to know in order to help you to optimise those first few hours in terms of their health and bonding with your baby. This section will cover the care options that will be offered and the reasons why, so that you can make informed decisions. It also explains what happens if your baby needs additional care and  the reasons for this.

The respiratory physiology service at Wye Valley NHS Trust provides a service in respiratory, exercise and sleep physiology, for inpatients and outpatients from the Trust. The department provides a comprehensive range of investigations in order to: Aid diagnosis Give an objective assessment of how a condition affects the patient’s functionally Display and define the contribution of any secondary condition Monitor improvement with treatment or deterioration with time  Investigations are performed on patients with various types of lung disease, cardiac and oesophageal conditions and, on occasions, patients being considered for non-thoracic surgery when their cardio-pulmonary state gives cause for concern. Patients…

Membrane sweeps A membrane sweep or ‘stretch and sweep’ is when the midwife or doctor inserts two fingers into the vagina, through the cervix (if it is open enough) and uses a circular sweeping motion around the membranes in order to try and stimulate your body to release the hormone prostaglandin and create tightenings. NICE guidelines suggest that a sweep can be discussed and offered to women from 39 weeks. Although a membrane sweep isn’t a formal stage in the induction of labour process, it is still classed as a method of inducing labour and is often thought of as…

Pre-employment checks Once you have been offered a post, we have to undertake a number of mandatory checks which help us to keep you, our patients, staff and visitors safe. These checks have to be completed before we can agree your start date and send you a contract. We aim to complete these checks as quickly as possible. For your information, here is a list of the checks that we carry out for everyone who applies for a job at Wye Valley NHS Trust. Identity  We will ask you to provide us with documents which confirm your identity. These documents…

If you’ve ever dreamt of a place which brings together the convenience of living in a big city with the lifestyle associated with a home in a rural idyll, Herefordshire is the place for you. Herefordshire lies in the south west of the West Midlands, bordering Wales. It is a rural county with a population of around 178,400. Numbers are expected to grow to 193,600 by 2026. Just under half of the population live in villages and rural areas, just under a third (30 per cent) of the people live in Hereford City, and the rest (22 per cent) live…

Congratulations on your pregnancy!  If you are newly pregnant you will need to self-refer to Wye Valley NHS Trust in order to make your first appointment.  Your first meeting with your midwife will take place when you are between eight to ten weeks pregnant. Whether this is your first pregnancy or you have had a baby before, you may have lots of questions about what to expect from your pregnancy care at our Trust.  This section will hopefully answer these queries and give you some additional useful information. We aim to provide the best possible care and experience for mothers, babies…