Vascular

The County Hospital Vascular Service

The County Hospital offers a combined Vascular Service with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. The role of the Vascular Service is to assess and treat patients with arterial and venous disease and conditions.

Types of patients seen

Patients seen range from those with varicose veins to strokes, aneurysms, gangrene, and claudication.

Vascular Surgeons and Clinics

There are two vascular surgeons based at The County Hospital. Outpatient clinics are held on:

• Tuesday mornings
• Wednesday afternoons
• Alternate Monday afternoons

The surgeons are supported at these clinics by the Clinical Vascular Scientist based in the Vascular Unit. Patients requiring urgent non-invasive tests can often have these performed as a one-stop appointment. The majority of tests performed in these clinics involve:

• Colour duplex ultrasound scanning
• Blood pressure measurements

Varicose Vein Treatment

Each surgeon has one session every alternate week in Hereford for patients requiring treatment for varicose veins. This treatment would normally be Radiofrequency Ablation, carried out under local anaesthetic.

Major Arterial Surgery

Patients requiring major arterial surgery will have all their pre-operative investigations and assessments carried out at The County Hospital. However, they will be transferred to Worcester for their operative period. The surgery will be carried out by the surgeon they saw at The County Hospital.

Worcester Royal Hospital

Worcester Royal Hospital has a dedicated Vascular Ward, High Dependency Unit, Vascular Nurse Consultant, and Anaesthetists. There is a vascular surgeon on call 24 hours a day, ensuring that patients receive specialised, safe care during and after their surgery.

Discharge and Rehabilitation

When patients are ready for discharge, they can be transferred to a hospital nearer to home for rehabilitation, if required.

Useful Links

The Vascular Society The Society for Vascular Technology NHS Smoking Helpline British Heart Foundation Circulation Foundation