Southmead Plan for stroke centre of excellence in care shake-up
❝ Unfortunately, we know the care and treatment you receive after a stroke depends very much on where you live and what time of day it is, so the chances of surviving and maintaining your independence after a stroke will vary across the region Dr Phil Clatworthy
SOUTHMEAD Hospital is set to become a centre of excellence for treating stroke patients in a massive shake-up of services.
Sufferers would be taken to the north Bristol site instead of their nearest hospital under proposals health chiefs say will save 12 to 15 lives a year and prevent dozens from becoming disabled or needing long-term care.
Survival rates and the level of treatment residents currently receive varies greatly across the region and “depends very much on where you live and what time of day it is”, a meeting of Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire CCG governing body was told.
The plans, drawn up by senior clinicians, staff and stroke survivors, are going out to a 13-week public consultation after being approved at the meeting on Tuesday.
At the forefront of the new set-up, Southmead would become a “hyper-acute stroke unit” with the region’s stroke experts under one roof, similar to how heart care and major trauma is organised.
Beneath that, the preferred option for changes to ongoing hospital care following emergency treatment is for a single specialist stroke unit at Southmead, although residents are also being given a second choice of an additional smaller unit at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
The final major change would see inpatient rehabilitation, for those who are well enough to leave hospital but not yet fit enough to live independently at home, at two specialist units – Weston General Hospital and another location in either Bristol or South Gloucestershire.
Phil Clatworthy, consultant stroke neurologist at North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Southmead, told the CCG governing body there was strong evidence that emergency care by specialists at centralised, 24/7 hyper-acute stroke units, which focus on patients’ survival and minimising brain damage, substantially reduced the risk of people dying or being left disabled.
He said: “Unfortunately, we know the care and treatment you receive after a stroke depends very much on where you live and what time of day it is, so the chances of surviving and maintaining your independence after a stroke will vary across the region.
“We estimate that in comparison with our current services the changes should save 15 lives a year, allow 60 to 70 people to live fully independently at home after their stroke, and 60 to 70 people to avoid needing a new, permanent carehome placement.”
Claire Angell, who had a stroke seven years ago, told the meeting: “When I started volunteering for the stroke programme over five years ago I was pretty disillusioned at how stroke survivors’ experiences differed so greatly.
“It was quite upsetting and had a real impact on their recovery and their ability to live well afterwards.
“By having the opportunity to contribute fully to the clinical design, as service users we are optimistic that these changes will really improve care for future patients and support their carers.
“Having a stroke is traumatic for the patient, the family and their friends.
“Your whole world changes in a second and anything that can be done to help people through that experience in as smooth a way as possible and help make life worth living has to be worth it.”
CCG deputy finance director Jon Lund said the preferred option would cost £2.9million and the second option including the BRI unit £3.4million.
Programme clinical lead Chris Burton said: “We want everyone to have the best possible opportunity to survive and thrive after stroke, which is why we’re excited to test these proposals with the public.
“Clinical evidence and service change examples from across the country show that when you bring specialist staff, equipment and resources together into a single centre like this, deaths are prevented and people’s long-term outcomes are improved.”
Mr Burton said the final decision would be made by the CCG governing body later this year or early 2022 following the feedback and further analysis.
The consultation opens at 9am on Monday, June 7, and closes at midday on Friday, September 3.
For more information saee the website https://bnssghealthiertogether.org.uk/stroke-services/