Plans to open specialist units to be discussed Decision on stroke services is delayed

dkilpatrick@thekmgroup.co.uk

A final decision on whether to proceed with changes to stroke services in Kent has been delayed.

Plans to open hyper acute stroke units (HASUS) at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Dartford’s Darent Valley Hospital and Maidstone Hospital are to be scrutinised by councillors again before a verdict is reached.

Such a move would see the permanent removal of stroke services from the Kent and Canterbury Hospital, following their “temporary” relocation to Ashford last year.

Stroke review senior officer Rachel Jones said decision-makers from Kent’s clinical commissioning groups (CCGS) were originally due to meet on January 13, but extra time will allow the final business case to be assessed.

However, the aim is for the final decision still to be taken in January.

Speaking on Friday at a meeting of the Kent and Medway joint health and wellbeing board, she added: “The decision date would be very dependent on whether this committee either wanted to look at it virtually or face-to-face. The usual process is the joint health overview and scrutiny committee would see the final version.

“We are committed for the CCGS to meet in January and it would only be if this committee was unable to support that timeline that would have to move it back further.

“But we wouldn’t want to move it much further back than the end of January. It’s really important we are able to make a decision.”

Chairman Cllr Sue Chandler (Con) said the committee would have to meet in public before submitting its final comments.

HASUS are designed to have expert care in three units across the county to treat patients in the first 72 hours after a stroke.