Linda and Michael O'Brien are pictured at their home in Brantham. Linda suffered a stroke in 2011 and is supporting the EADT / Star's save our stroke services campaign.

Ipswich: Emergency stroke care could be transferred out of county – leaving patients facing journeys of up to an hour

BY LIZZIE PARRY, health reporter Friday, March 22, 2013
3:19 PM

PATIENTS who suffer a stroke in Suffolk could be taken out of the county for emergency life-saving treatment under controversial proposals, it emerged today.

Factfile

– The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines state that “all people with suspected acute stroke are transferred immediately by ambulance to a hospital with access to a 24-hour seven-day-a-week acute stroke service that can provide a stroke triage system, expert clinical assessment, timely imaging and intravenous thrombolysis”.

– A HASU can provide immediate access to a brain scan – vital in determining what type of stroke someone has suffered.

– If a patient has suffered a stroke as a result of a blood clot they require intravenous thrombolysis as soon as possible but within three hours for the best chance of recovery.

– If a patient has suffered a stroke as a result of a bleed they do not need thrombolysis.

– The type if stroke a patient has suffered can only be determined by a brain scan, hence the importance of reaching a HASU as quickly as possible.

– An acute stroke service provides rehabilitation for stroke patients.

– Once treated at a HASU a patient is transferred back to their nearest acute service to continue their recovery.

One senior health source said if the measures were introduced, they had the potential to “cost lives”.

The NHS Midlands and East Stroke Review is understood to be considering three options for Suffolk – one would see Ipswich Hospital and West Suffolk Hospital lose their emergency hyper acute stroke units (HASU), considered the gold standard of stroke care.

If that happened, the estimated 1,300 patients who suffer a stroke in Suffolk each year would be taken by ambulance to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridgeshire or Colchester Hospital.

The threat comes a year after Ipswich Hospital’s stroke service was heralded as an example of excellence to the rest of the region.

And it comes 12 months after The Star’s Have a Heart campaign, launched after Ipswich lost out in a similar review to move emergency heart attack care to the Norfolk and Norwich, Papworth and Basildon hospitals, secured victory in bringing a new elective heart centre to Ipswich Hospital.

The review into stroke services began in July. An Expert External Advisory Group (EEAG) is understood to have suggested three possible options:

• HASUs, providing emergency treatment, at Addenbrooke’s and Colchester with acute services, providing rehabilitation, at Ipswich and West Suffolk hospitals.

• A HASU at Ipswich with acute services at Colchester and West Suffolk hospitals.

• HASUs at Ipswich and Colchester with an acute service at West Suffolk Hospital.

One source said the option of removing HASUs from both Ipswich and West Suffolk hospitals “could cost lives”.

He said: “Both Addenbrooke’s and Colchester have worse clinical outcomes for patients from what I have seen.

“That option would be to the detriment of Suffolk patients.

“We cannot lose our emergency stroke service in Suffolk, speed is of the essence when someone has a stroke, any unnecessary delays could cost lives.”

The group has not yet formally recommended the options to the Ipswich and East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) or West Suffolk CCG.

An NHS Suffolk spokesman said: “A number of options have been considered and a strategic statement was agreed at a public board meeting of NHS Suffolk in January.

“Our proposals have been reviewed by an expert advisory group and we are awaiting final feedback from the Stroke Network.

“The CCGs want to do what is best for Suffolk residents. Clinicians want to see improvements in stroke services and we will consider all evidence and views available on how to do this. This obviously includes speaking to local people and no changes will be made without involvement of patients and the public.”

n What do you think of the proposals? Write to health reporter Lizzie Parry at Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or alternatively you can send an email to lizzie.parry@archant.co.uk

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11 comments

It strikes me that two of the three options are for an HASU at Ipswich, with only one option being to remove it to Addenbrookes. If, as it seems, clinical outcomes at Addenbrookes are worse, we simply need to point out the obvious benefits of the other two options. An HASU at Ipswich and Colchester would seem the best solution for patients from the East of Suffolk. Rather than run this as a threat to Ipswich, why not promote it as a sensible idea to move these services TO Ipswich? There is clear evidence that centres of excellence give everyone better care. Lets make Ipswich the centre of excellence in the East!

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IpswichSpy

Saturday, March 23, 2013
It strikes me that two of the three options are for an HASU at Ipswich, with only one option being to remove it to Addenbrookes. If, as it seems, clinical outcomes at Addenbrookes are worse, we simply need to point out the obvious benefits of the other two options. An HASU at Ipswich and Colchester would seem the best solution for patients from the East of Suffolk. Rather than run this as a threat to Ipswich, why not promote it as a sensible idea to move these services TO Ipswich? There is clear evidence that centres of excellence give everyone better care. Lets make Ipswich the centre of excellence in the East!

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IpswichSpy

Saturday, March 23, 2013
Seems like like the EEAG has a hammer for Ipswich Hospital and just wants to put another nail in the coffin for the people of Felixstowe, Ipswich and surrounding area. Post the information on how many people have been treated at the Ipswich Stroke unit and how many life's have been saved. I hope the hospital at Addenbrooke's has changed. In 2004 I was taken by Ambulance for a suspected stroke I hope that.the facilities and treatment have been updated. I was told I was a diabetic and didn't have a stoke. It took 6 months to find that I had Myathenia Gravis. Thanks to the Doctors in Ipswich.

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barry levine

Saturday, March 23, 2013
My mum has had 2 strokes and travelling to Addenbrookes in that situation is ridiculous! Ipswich hospital stop thinking of these crazy ways to save money, and start thinking about the services that are really needed for local people in our local hospitals!

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L R

Friday, March 22, 2013
My mother was treated quickly, professionally and with excellent quality care when she had her stroke, from the on-call doctor [who was one of the docs on stroke ward] to A&E staff to ward staff. wouldn't care to think what may have happened if she'd had to travel for an hour. Wewould not have been able to visit and help with her care in the way we did had she not been in Ipswich. We must not lose yet another vital service, we are the county town, the big local hospital, if we keep losing all the major care facilities we may well lose the lot in the not too distant future

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Irene Wragg

Friday, March 22, 2013
stroke is one of the uks largest killers and causes of permanent disability, toby P's comment is wrong stroke can and does get anyone at any age -i was 46 when i had my stroke and I along with many others owe our lives to the care in the shotley stroke ward and the hyper acute unit, the loss of these wards will kill people who otherwise would have lived - how can that be right?

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Andrew Woodgate

Friday, March 22, 2013
At the end of the day,as far as this government is concerned, it's all about saving money rather than saving lives. They're quite happy to see the older folk out of the way.

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TOBY P.

Friday, March 22, 2013
We have not lost this service yet, and lets make sure we NEVER do. This is far too important a service to lose. Every second counts, without a doubt after a stroke.

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Chris B

Friday, March 22, 2013
Another lost service for SuffolkIpswich. We pay for these but don't get them or the high paying jobs our tax's fund. It's about time the local commissioning bodies were elected and then we could throw them out ! Save our Hospital before Ipswich Hospital becomes a old peoples convalescence home. The A&E Dept's already a joke with a minimum of a 4hr wait even on quite Monday morning to check a possible broken ankle. 5 min job. That will be next, first starve of investment, don't put enough staff in, then say outcomes not good enough we'll close it. Why does nobody from MP's to Councillors to local GP's stand up for Ipswich. If they don't like the place, say so resign and move !

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The Ginge

Friday, March 22, 2013
Another lost service for SuffolkIpswich. We pay for these but don't get them or the high paying jobs our tax's fund. It's about time the local commissioning bodies were elected and then we could throw them out ! Save our Hospital before Ipswich Hospital becomes a old peoples convalescence home. The A&E Dept's already a joke with a minimum of a 4hr wait even on quite Monday morning to check a possible broken ankle. 5 min job. That will be next, first starve of investment, don't put enough staff in, then say outcomes not good enough we'll close it. Why does nobody from MP's to Councillors to local GP's stand up for Ipswich. If they don't like the place, say so resign and move !

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The Ginge

Friday, March 22, 2013
I've noticed on the TV recently that the adverts about how to spot and handle someone having a stroke. Its clear from the advert that 'every second counts' - so why on earth would we want to have to travel an extra hours for treatment. I dont understand why, as a tax payer, I should have less service and chance of survial, then someone in Cambridge. We have a hospital with an excellent stroke unit (see report above) so why rock that boat and put peoples lives, and quaility of life and aftercare, at risk by moving the service so far away. The Ipswich Hospital covers such a large area and its crazy to think they cant offer health care for all people in its catchment zone. If services keep being moved out of area do we move to some sort of discounted tax for receiving reduced healthcare? then we could afford private care locally!!!

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Homeofstowe

Friday, March 22, 2013