MORE than 1,500 people in Felixstowe have signed a petition urging health bosses not to axe Ipswich Hospital’s specialist stroke unit.

The petition – part of the Ipswich Star’s Save Our Stroke Care campaign – was given a big boost at the weekend as hundreds of people signed it at an event to highlight the health danger signals leading to a stroke.

Petition organiser Sylvia Arnold, of the Felixstowe Co-operative Women’s Guild, said: “The day went really well and the support from the public was excellent.

“Only a few people said they thought it was a good idea to move the stroke unit, and the vast majority were appalled at the idea and incredibly favourable to our petition and wanted to sign it.

“I am hoping we will get more than 2,000 signatures. The petition is in a number of town centre shops and this week we are expanding it to Walton and the Trimley villages.

“We need to show those carrying out the review just how worried people are about this.”

Mrs Arnold, who lives with her husband Colin in Colneis Road, Felixstowe, took part in a Stroke Awareness Day at Great Eastern Square, Hamilton Road, organised by the Rotary Club of Felixstowe to help support the Stroke Association. NHS paramedics, assisted by Rotary members, took blood pressure measurements.

A regional stroke review is currently under way to identify locations for hyper acute stroke units (HASUs) at hospitals across East Anglia. That review could see Ipswich Hospital missing out on establishing a specialist centre, meaning patients would have to travel to Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge or Colchester Hospital.

The aim of the review is to create several centres of excellence to improve patients’ chances of survival and recovery.

? The petition is also available to sign at The Felixstowe Star office at 172 Hamilton Road, Felixstowe.