Pioneering new stroke clinic is the first in the north west

A new clinic has been opened at Blackpool Victoria Hospital to support stroke patients.
Prof Mark ODonnell, Medical Director at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation, far right and Elaine Day, Senior Programme Lead for Stroke, Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria ICS with staff at the opening of the new ambulatory stroke clinic at Blackpool Victoria HospitalProf Mark ODonnell, Medical Director at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation, far right and Elaine Day, Senior Programme Lead for Stroke, Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria ICS with staff at the opening of the new ambulatory stroke clinic at Blackpool Victoria Hospital
Prof Mark ODonnell, Medical Director at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation, far right and Elaine Day, Senior Programme Lead for Stroke, Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria ICS with staff at the opening of the new ambulatory stroke clinic at Blackpool Victoria Hospital

An ambulatory stroke clinic was officially opened this week to make sure people who have the mildest form of a stroke can be treated as soon as possible.The clinic, the first of its kind in Lancashire, was officially opened by Prof Mark O’Donnell, the Medical Director at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Elaine Day, Senior Programme Lead for Stroke, Lancashire and South Cumbria ICS.Prof O’Donnell said: “We have continued to develop stroke services in Blackpool over the years and were the first hospital in Lancashire to offer thrombolysis (‘clot busting’) treatment. This unit continues the innovation in stroke care in Blackpool Teaching Hospitals and the same work will be rolled out across Lancashire and South Cumbria.“One of the things we are looking at is developing an ambulatory care service for patients who have had a minor stroke to come in, be assessed by the full team on the day and get a management plan as soon as possible.“This will hopefully mean a large number of people can go home safely much quicker than they previously would have done.“Although all strokes do impact on people’s lives if you have had what is medically classed as a “minor” stroke you will at the moment automatically be admitted to hospital for investigations and that isn’t always necessary. We know most people who fall into this category would rather be recuperating at home than in a hospital bed.“This clinic will help us do that and I am delighted that we can offer this service and would like to thank all the team for driving this service forward.”