Northwick Park seeks support for plans to develop stroke services locally
16-Mar-2009
Northwick Park Hospital could become one of eight specialist stroke centres in London if proposals are given the go-ahead following a three month consultation.
The consultation is part of Lord Darzi’s ten year vision for the capital called ‘Healthcare for London’ and seeks views on the location of stroke and major trauma centres.
Strokes are the second biggest killer in London and the most common cause of disability – around 11,500 Londoners suffer a stroke each year. It is estimated that more than 500 lives could be saved through a network of these specialist stroke centres in London.
Hyper-acute stroke units are where all patients would go for very specialised treatment. No-one would be more than a 30 minute ambulance journey from a centre and would be scanned and (if appropriate) given `clot-busting’ drugs within 30 mins of arrival at the centre.
Chief Executive of the North West London Hospitals NHS Trust which manages Northwick Park Hospital, Fiona Wise, said: “We believe that Northwick Park is the right location for these services as locally we have one of the highest incidences of stroke - with a growing elderly population and a high proportion of people from black and minority ethnic communities. We already care for one of the largest numbers of stroke patients in the capital
“There is clear evidence that access to specialist stroke services helps patients to recover and lead more of an independent life by reducing their risk of disability or death. If these proposals receive support following consultation then this is good news for local people who will have access to specialist services on their doorstep. It would also see additional investment in stroke services locally. ”
Northwick Park Hospital would also have a local Stroke Centre where people would go after the first three days for ongoing care and rehabilitation, and a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) centre providing rapid testing and specialist services for people who have suffered a ‘mini stroke’.
The consultation ends on 8 May 2009. Comments can be made by
• Completing the online questionnaire www.healthcareforlondon.nhs.uk
• Writing to Freepost RSAE-RCET-ATJY, Healthcare for London, Harrow, HA1 2QG
• Calling 0808 238 5481.
• Emailing hfl@ipsos.com.
Members of the public can find out more by attending information days being held by NHS Brent and Harrow PCT.
• Thursday 23 April from 12noon to 8pm at the ASDA store in Wembley Park
Check out our flyer for the reasons why we think Northwick Park Hopsital is the right place for stroke services.