Stroke services to be transformed across West Sussex
Health professionals are expected to give the green light to an Acute Stroke Centre in Chichester with 24/7 care
Stroke services are set to be transformed across West Sussex with new hospital-based stroke services.
Next week, November 29th, health bosses are expected to give the go-ahead to the creation of an Acute Stroke Centre at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester.
It will mean patients across coastal areas in West Sussex will be able to access specialist care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Consultant Stroke Physician at St Richard's Hospital, Dr Simone Ivatts, said: "Our whole aim is to improve care for people when they have a stroke.
“By developing an Acute Stroke Centre at St Richard’s Hospital we would be able to concentrate our skilled stroke workforce, including medical, nursing, therapies and imaging colleagues, in one location to provide specialist care and advanced new techniques for our patients, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“Stroke care is one of the fastest evolving medical specialities and we need to make changes locally to ensure we can meet new national standards and deliver national best practice for our patients in West Sussex."
The recommendation to the Board of NHS Sussex is for the Acute Stroke Centre in Chichester to work as part of a network with the Comprehensive Stroke Centre at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.
Health professionals claim this is the only clinically viable option to ensure the population has access to a 24/7 acute stroke service, delivered in line with national standards.