Overhaul of stroke services in Bristol could ‘save a dozen lives per year’

A dozen lives will be saved every year and many more will be prevented from becoming disabled or needing long-term care in a major shakeup of stroke services in Bristol.

Anyone across Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire with a suspected stroke will be taken to a new centre of excellence at Southmead Hospital, where specialist staff and treatments will be available 24-seven.

As well as offering hyper-acute care, the hospital will be the region’s single acute stroke unit.

The £3.5m plans also include two rehab units – one at Weston General Hospital and the other at South Bristol Community Hospital – for people who have recovered but are not quite well enough to go home, and an integrated community stroke service offering better support at home.

A new centre of excellence at Southmead Hospital James Koch

Consultant stroke neurologist Dr Phil Clatworthy told the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group’s governing body: “We’re expecting that these changes should save 12 lives a year every year in BNSSG, that up to 60 people will be able to live independently at home in the region that wouldn’t have been able to otherwise, and that a similar number of people will be able to avoid having to be discharged from hospital into a permanent care home placement – quite significant benefits.

“Everybody with a suspected stroke will be brought to and treated at Southmead Hospital at a centralised comprehensive stroke centre with a hyper acute stroke unit.

“Bringing everybody into the same place provides the benefit of people being looked after by a specialist workforce who look after a lot of people with stroke every year so they have good experience of that and all of the equipment and treatments are available 24-seven.”

Stroke affects more than 1,500 people in the region each year. It is the fourth biggest killer in the UK and a leading cause of disability. Better immediate care limits the extent of brain damage and early intensive rehabilitation reduces disability and preserves post-stroke independence.

Concerns had been raised that increased travel times would lead to worse outcomes for some stroke patients.

But Dr Clatworthy said: “Everybody within BNSSG can arrive at Southmead in 45 minutes. A very small group at the bottom of North Somerset would go to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.

“Literally everybody will benefit from the changes and access to this hyper acute stroke care on a specialised unit.”

Next door will be the acute stroke unit, significantly reducing transfers and improving patient experience. A specialist stroke workforce will be retained at the Bristol Royal Infirmary to support people with specialist needs who cannot be transferred to the Southmead Hospital units.

Claire Angel, who had a stroke eight years ago and is a patient representative, said the changes “can’t come quickly enough”.

She told the meeting: “From the patient’s perspective, the vision for the stroke programme has always been to ensure that patients are diagnosed quickly and that they’re able to access the right treatment, care and rehab, both in hospital and at home, as and when they need it.

“The programme board recommendations provide a high quality, sustainable solution to inconsistencies of care that have been experienced by stroke users in the past.”

The CCG approved the recommendations.

Dr Chris Burton, the programme’s clinical lead, said change will not happen overnight but will be phased over the coming months, with new services expected to be fully in place from November.

If you suspect that you or someone else is having a stroke, phone 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance.

Main photo: Ellie Pipe

Stephen Sumner is a local democracy reporter 

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