Visiting has been stopped at our hospitals and there are changes in place to a number of services. For more details visit our Coronavirus page
For the latest advice for pregnant women and their families click on this link - The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) have guidance which is being regularly updated
Updated 18 June 2020 -
We appreciate that this is a worrying time for you and your families. In Herefordshire the maternity services team has been working hard to plan how our services will continue to provide safe care during the COVID-19 outbreak.
We would like to assure you that we will continue to provide all our essential services, either face to-face, via telephone or if possible by video call (please see further information on video calls below). In line with the government recommendations, we are introducing measures to reduce the numbers of people attending the hospital and ensure social distancing occurs especially with pregnant women.
We recommend that you attend face to face appointments as advised by your midwife.
We are currently running a reduced face to face postnatal service to reduce risk to you and your family. In some cases we may carry some of your postnatal visits by phone or on video call.
We will of course undertake to see you and your baby if at time if you have any concerns about wellbeing or feeding or if you have any additional clinical requirements. Your individual plan will be discussed prior to your discharge home.
There will be no parent education or breastfeeding support sessions during this time, in line with government advice. However, there is breastfeeding support still available - click here. We would recommend you access reputable sites for guidance on these matters, or contact your community midwife for advice.
We have created a virtual tour of the unit. We hope this will help you to prepare for your birthing journey with us. Click here to view the video.
Updated 1 April 2020 - important changes for partners attending/visiting
It is with great regret that we have made the decision to stop partners having access to maternity ward (antenatal and postnatal), in order to protect our patients during this time.
Women will still be able to have their birth partner for the duration of their time on delivery suite. If you are being induced on maternity ward, your partner will be called in when you start contracting or when you are transferred to delivery suite.
For elective C-Sections, partners 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 any birth, we will strive to discharge all women as soon as possible. Sometimes straight from our delivery suite, so there will be no separation in these circumstances. We would ask you to make arrangements as soon as possible; so that once your discharge is planned there is no delay in leaving the ward area.
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.
We hope you can understand that this has been a difficult decision, however our main priority is the safety of women and their babies at this time.
We completely understand how this can cause anxiety for you and your family. Please understand we have not taken this decision lightly. This decision has been made to protect all of the women we care for, their newborns, their families and our staff.
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.
Please note that those receiving bereavement care will not be affected by this rule, as all bereavement care takes place on delivery suite.
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).
The action outlined above is being taken to reduce numbers attending the hospital; including antenatal clinics, and enable us to protect you and your family as best as we can
We will be reviewing and updating our information as changes in guidance occurs. This will be available through the Trust website and also from your community midwife. We would like to thank you for your support and cooperation during these challenging times.
Updated 28/4/20 - vidoe calls are not permitted during scanning
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.
· If the sonographer identifies any abnormalities during the scan, partners will be allowed to attend the unit to support women following the scan and receive support from our staff (this will not take place in the scanning room).
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 Head of Midwifery, Consultant Obstetricians, deputy head of midwifery, Senior Midwives, Midwives and Maternity support workers, health care assistants, housekeepers and ward clerks who supports the administration of these areas.
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 babys development. Click here to find out more.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 famillies beflore, during and after birth, visit BirtHWays - the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Local Maternity System website.
Building a Happy Baby - UNICEF
We have created a virtual tour of the unit. We hope this will help you to prepare for your birthing journey with us.
This week is National breastfeeding week. Here at Wye Valley we have worked hard to maintain the high standard of breastfeeding support through the current pandemic. We are here to support parents informed feeding choices. We have been Accredited fully Baby Friendly by UNICEF. This means our training and care in regards to Infant Feeding and promoting close loving relationships between mothers and their babies is of the highest standards. #skintoskin #Buildingahappybaby #Nationalbreastfeedingweek2020 #BFI
It's Breastfeeding Celebration Week and this year we're focusing on the support available during COVID-19.
Continuing to breastfeed is advised - click the link for the latest information on coronavirus and breastfeeding: https://bit.ly/308lVfl
If you're pregnant it's vital that you still attend your antenatal appointments and continue to seek advice from your midwife or maternity team. Some appointments may be telephone or virtual appointments. Don't let #COVID19 put you off attending appointments.
Advice around #pregnancy and #coronavirus: https://bit.ly/2WnS1kP
@NHSuk
If you're pregnant it's vital that you still attend your antenatal appointments and continue to seek advice from your midwife or maternity team. Some appointments may be telephone or virtual appointments. Don't let #COVID19 put you off attending appointments.
Advice around #pregnancy and #coronavirus: https://bit.ly/2WnS1kP
@NHSuk
Many thanks to Laura for her kind comments, we absolutely love the picture and it really brightens up our wall!
"I just wanted to share this photo with you of a picture my husband Andrei drew while in room 4 with me and gave to the ward yesterday. We just wanted to say a massive thank you to the whole team and in particular Lucy who spent her whole shift getting me through a very difficult labour and ensuring the safe arrival of our beautiful daughter Marlie.
You were all ama...
If you're pregnant it's vital that you still attend your antenatal appointments and continue to seek advice from your midwife or maternity team. Some appointments may be telephone or virtual appointments. Don't let #COVID19 put you off attending appointments.
Advice around #pregnancy and #coronavirus: https://bit.ly/2WnS1kP
@NHSuk
Did you join us in April? We would love to see how your babies have grown!
Maternity Ward
Manager:
Maria Pearman
Direct Ward Telephone No:
01432 372994
Maternity Triage
Telephone number 07990986517
Antenatal and community lead midwife
Abbi Maddox
01432 372965
