Stroke services move in two weeks from Walsall to New Cross Hospital
Stroke patients will be moving from Walsall to New Cross Hospital in two weeks.
From April 11, Walsall residents will be taken the few miles to Wolverhampton for treatment because the stroke unit at the town's Manor Hospital is not considered busy enough to keep running.
But rehabilitation will continue to be provided in Walsall because patients prefer to be closer to home while they recover.
A decision was made by NHS Walsall Clinical Commission Group's (CGC) Governing Body after consultation with patients, their families and clinicians.
Treatment will be centralized at a unit at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton on the basis that it will provide complete and specialised treatment for patients suffering from a stroke.
Starting next month all new onset suspected stroke cases in Walsall will be treated at a specialist stroke unit at New Cross Hospital run by Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.
A Walsall Council scrutiny panel were satisfied most patients will reach New Cross in 25 minutes but a main concern during the consultation was the transfer time from Walsall to New Cross Hospital.
NHS Walsall CCG, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust have worked with West Midlands Ambulance Service to ensure the same level of service is maintained when transferring patients to Wolverhampton.
To meet the nationally recognised standards for a hyper acute stroke unit (HASU), it is recommended there is a minimum of 600 confirmed stroke patients per year. But Walsall Manor currently cares for 360-400 patients per year, which is rated good overall but the current number is insufficient.
