West Midlands Ambulance Service trial could help stroke patients
It's funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research
A study looking at improving stroke care by taking patients directly to a specialist centre could help hundreds of people make a better recovery.
The SPEEDY trial is being carried out by West Midlands Ambulance Service.
At the moment, patients are usually taken to their local stroke hospital first, before being taken to specialist thrombectomy centres.
As part of the new trial, they're taken directly to thrombectomy centres, with North West Ambulance Service now also taking part, and more set to join.
Thrombectomy is a highly specialised procedure and only a few hospitals are able to provide it. The Royal Stoke University Hospital is one of those, along with Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.
WMAS Research Paramedic Josh Miller, said:
“We hope this research will speed up people’s access to the brain-saving treatment.
“We also think it will mean more people can access this treatment – around 10% of stroke patients could be suitable for thrombectomy, but at the moment, only about 2% receive it.
“If more people receive thrombectomy, more quickly, patients will have better outcomes – returning to life as normal after their stroke.
“It is important to emphasise that nothing changes in terms of what members of the public should do if they think someone is having a stroke. The FAST test remains the right thing to do to monitor symptoms, and if you have any concerns, you should dial 999 immediately”.