A petition is today being launched to help in the fight to ensure a specialist emergency stroke centre is created at Ipswich Hospital.

The Star launched the Save Our Stroke Care campaign after uncovering controversial proposals for the future of stroke care in the region.

An East Anglian stroke review is working to create several centres of excellence, Hyper Acute Stroke Units (HASU).

As part of the process an Expert External Advisory Group is understood to have suggested three options for the county:

– HASUs, providng emergency treatment, at Addenbrooke’s and Colchester with acute services, for rehabilitation, at Ipswich and West Suffolk

– A HASU at Ipswich with acute services at Colchester and West Suffolk

– HASUs at Ipswich and Colchester with an acute service at West Suffolk

The first option would leave patients in Ipswich and east Suffolk having to be taken by ambulance to Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge or Colchester for potentially life-saving treatment.

Urging everyone, whether they have suffered a stroke or not, to back the campaign, health minister and Ipswich MP Dr Dan Poulter said it is important people speak out.

“I would encourage all readers of The Star to sign this petition,” he said.

“It makes medical sense to have a centre in Ipswich. We have an increasing elderly population with more demand for stroke services.

“It is the only logical thing to do geographically because what we saw from the heart review was one reason that decision wa reconsidered was because of the geographical distances patients would have had to travel to Basildon, Norwich and Cambridge.

“And finally time really matters when someone suffers a stroke.

“People who suffer a stroke do much better in terms of survival and recovery if they receive prompt and timely treatment at a local service.

“Suffolk is a rural county, it is going to take longer than an hour to reach Cambridge or Colchester from the coast with the best will in the world.

“Creating a HASU in Ipswich makes medical and geographical sense and it is the right thing to do for patients.”

n You can also sign the petition form on this page or online at www.ipswichstar.co.uk