Maternity

Continuation of Maternity Services during COVID-19

For the latest advice for pregnant women and their families see link below and information on this page. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) have guidance which is being regularly updated  
 

Visiting policy eased at WVT hospitals – 22/4/22

We have eased the visiting arrangements at our hospitals further.  Please find below updated visiting arrangements for the maternity ward.

• 2 x support person can attend delivery suite throughout the stay
• 1 x support person can attend triage for labour assessment
• 1 x support person can attend for Induction of labour process (although restrictions may exist and booking slots may need to be agreed with midwife in charge)
• On the maternity ward:
• They should not attend if they have Covid symptoms
• Support person can visit once per day (will be offered a morning or afternoon visit) during the period 9am to 9pm, this must be arranged with the midwife in charge as not all partners can be present at once due to social distancing measures.

For elective C-Sections, support person(s) will be able to attend these as normal. We practice enhanced recovery and expect that most women will be discharged within 24 hours of their surgery. 

After your discharge from hospital we will aim to complete all essential neonatal screening checks in the home or clinic setting with place of contact decided on an individual basis at the time. 

There will be plenty of support available from our midwives, maternity support workers and transitional care workers to help you in the early days should you need to stay on the ward.

If you have any concerns regarding yourself or your baby please ensure you make telephone contact with the 24 hour Triage service, (telephone number 07990 986517) or through your Community Midwives Office (telephone number 01432 372965).

Outline of the service

The Maternity service cares for low and high risk women across a large and diverse demographic area.

As a Maternity team we work together to ensure women and babies receive the best care possible and to ensure a healthy and positive birthing outcome for all. We believe in an equitable service for all women and ensure compliance with national directives and agenda’s and work to ensure patient safety at all times.

The Maternity service consists of Delivery suite (inclusive of Obstetric theatre and water birth facilities), Maternity ward (antenatal and postnatal care), Community midwifery service (including home births), Antenatal clinic and Day assessment facilities.

The maternity service team consists of an Associate Director of Midwifery, Three Midwifery Matrons, senior specialist Midwives and coordinators Midwives and Maternity support workers, health care assistants, housekeepers and ward clerks who supports the administration of these areas. 

Pregnant women can refer themselves directly to the Trust 

If you are newly pregnant, you can now enter your details on a secure website (see link below) that will send a referral straight to our community midwifery team. You don’t need to contact your GP or make an appointment with them – we will tell them about your pregnancy. However, if you have any urgent concerns about your health during early pregnancy, please do contact your GP for advice.

The best time to fill in the online form is when you are 6 to 7 weeks pregnant. We will then phone you to arrange your first appointment with your midwife (called your booking appointment), which usually takes place when you are 8 to 10 weeks pregnant. 

If you need support filling in the online form, you can ask someone else to do the form for you, for example your partner or a relative. If you are having problems with getting online, or understanding the form, please ring our community midwifery office on (01432) 372965.

Register your details to be referred to WVT maternity service - please open this link in Chrome or Microsoft Edge to ensure the full form/questions open up fully.

The website is called ‘Badger Notes’ - it links to our electronic maternity patient record, which is called ‘BadgerNet’. You can also get to the website by scanning this QR code – just open the camera on your smart phone, point it at the QR code and click on the link that will appear.

Maternity healthcare information and online patient record information

We have introduced a new maternity electronic patient record system. This means that we no longer use paper forms for recording information about your maternity care.  It also means that general maternity healthcare information that you will require during pregnancy is now available on this website.

Black, Asian or Minoritised Ethnicity information for pregnant women - 19/8/20 

Research produced during the COVID-19 outbreak has shown that pregnant women from Black, Asian and minoritised backgrounds (which we often refer to in the NHS as BAME backgrounds) have an increased chance of having severe symptoms of COVID-19 that require hospitalisation (4x the chance). Research is ongoing to explain the reasons for why this is the case so we can provide appropriate care. In these uncertain times, we want to support you with any anxieties you might be experiencing about coming to or staying in hospital. We would like to know that we are here to help and support you.  Click here to access information leaflet.  

Taking Actions on the Ockenden Report

The Ockenden Report was published in December 2020 and contained 7 immediate and Essential Actions for all Maternity Trusts. Take a look at some of the ways that we are implementing these actions at Wye Valley NHS Trust.

Antenatal 

• Virtual antenatal education - we are now offering virtual antenatal education - please speak to your community midwife.
  
  
• Antenal and Newborn screening - click HERE for information on screening tests for you and your baby.
  
  
• Video calls are not permitted during scanning - 8/1/20
  
  Video calls are not permitted during scanning for a number of reasons including women being required to lay in a neutral position for the scan which can be affected during a video call, confidential information is displayed on the scanning machine, and the sonographer must be allowed to concentrate fully throughout the scanning as the clinical aspect of the examination is a priority, as detailed below.
  
  Patients undergoing antenatal scans are required to lay in a neutral positions to be able to obtain diagnostic imaging. Various positions have been trialled that patients would need to be in to be able to film the scan/themselves and it is apparent this causes undue twisting and tensing of the abdominal muscles making the scan near impossible.
  
  Confidential information is held on the scan machine screen and within the scan room and the inadvertent sharing of this cannot be mitigated against if filming is allowed.
  
  Sonographers fully appreciate the bonding that parents develop during ultrasound imaging but the clinical aspect of the examination is our priority in these difficult times. Sonographers must be allowed to concentrate on all of the important elements of the scanning and not distracted from this in any way. 
  
  

• Induction of labour
  
  Induction of labour (IOL) is the attempt to bring on labour when a woman wasn’t previously 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[1]based information about that topic. That is why we have created this IOL booklet. 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. (NICE guidelines recommend that all women have the above information before consenting or declining an IOL). 
  
  As you read about the reasons for being offered an induction, please always bear in mind that everyone is different and what is right for one person may not be right for you.

Virtual tours 

• Maternity unit tour - June 2021
• Neonatal unit tour - June 2021
• Tour of maternity unit - Click here to view the video.  June 2020

Postnatal - infant feeding, caring for your baby 

• Infant feeding
  
  Wye Valley NHS Trust was recognised by UNICEF in 2019 for work with mothers and newborn babies and awarded Baby Friendly Status.  There is a high level of support for all mothers with infant feeding choices. Click here to find out more about infant feeding and support.
  
  
• Caring for and feeding your baby including Healthy start voucher scheme details
  
  We would like to offer you the opportunity to do some background reading regarding infant feeding, skin to skin contact with your baby and the importance of closeness and comfort for your baby's development.  Click here to find out more.
   
• Special care transitional area for mums and babies
  
  We have a transitional care area at Hereford County Hospital’s special care baby unit, which enables mums and babies to remain together with additional support.   Read more.
  
  
• Postnatal animation video
  
  We are proud to be in collaboration with Worcester Royal Hospital in producing additional guidance for the postnatal period for all women accessing maternity care in Herefordshire.  You can view the video here.
  
  
• Additional support for pelvic health for local mums-to-be
  
  Mums-to-be across Herefordshire and Worcestershire are set to benefit from additional, specialist information, advice, and support to maintain or improve their pelvic health following a successful bid for more than £300,000.
  
  This money will be spent on improving the quality of care in the antenatal period before and during pregnancy by providing additional specialist staff, extra training, and providing mums-to be with more resources – including a new app to support pelvic floor muscle training a self-assessment tool to use throughout the pregnancy journey - to enable them to take active steps to maintain or improve their pelvic floor function.  

Bereavement suite

The bereavement suite at Hereford County Hospital opened on 27 July 2019 following a successful public fundraising campaign which totalled just over £100,000, including donations from local charities.

It provides bereaved parents and their families a private sanctuary to use as they come to terms with the loss of their baby.  To find out more about the bereavement suite please speak to your midwife and you can also follow this link. to find out about the background of the appeal.

Contact us

Contact details for the maternity ward are available in the contacts box on the top right of this page. View the maternity visiting times, Contact the delivery suite or women's health ward visiting times.

Friends and Family Test

As you progress through your pregnancy and access different services, you will be given the opportunity to answer the NHS Friends and Family Test.  The Friends and Family Test is a simple question that patients will be asked about the care they have received.  The test is part of a  way of gathering patient feedback and driving improvement in NHS hospital services across the country. To find out more about the Friends and Family Test click here.

Links with other Departments

Within our maternity service we have a maternity triage which is a 24 hour assessment area where women and their families can easily access and receive prompt care.  Click to find our more about maternity triage.

We work very closely with the Special Care Baby Unit, Accident and Emergency and medical teams and through these close links are able to ensure that women and babies receive the best possible care.

Other Information

The Maternity Service recently received a ‘better performing’ rating from the Healthcare Commission.

For more information on maternity and neonatal services across the county, and support available for families before, during and after birth, visit BirtHWays - the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Local Maternity System website.

Useful links

Lullaby Trust Safe Sleep      

Building a Happy Baby - UNICEF     

Useful resources from Baby Friendly organisation, on How to get breastfeeding off to a good start, responsive bottle feeding, Hand expressing, positioning and attachment