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Dec 2021

Health

‘Positive’ feedback from stroke patients sent outside Harrogate for emergency treatment

Published: 15 Dec 2021, 06:05 GMT

by Connor Creaghan

Under major changes introduced in 2019, ambulances began taking patients to specialist units at Leeds or York hospitals rather than Harrogate after evidence showed they had a better chance of survival.

Harrogate District Hospital.

Feedback from stroke patients sent outside the Harrogate district for emergency treatment has been “largely positive,” an NHS official has said.

Under major changes introduced in 2019, ambulances began taking patients to specialist units at Leeds or York hospitals rather than Harrogate after evidence showed they had a better chance of survival – even if travel times are increased.

Simon Cox, director of acute commissioning at North Yorkshire’s NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, said there are now “early indications” that the changes have had a “positive impact” on patients, although he added a full review would be carried out.

He said in a report:

“We have carried out a qualitative survey of those patients who have been through the direct transfer stroke pathway to gather feedback on their experiences which have been largely positive.

“It is timely now, as part of the integrated care system-wide review of hyper acute provision, to conduct a thorough review of the outcomes of the changes.”

The changes were introduced following a national review which found larger, more specialist stroke units were better equipped to increase survival rates and improve recovery times.

Around 300 people in the Harrogate district fall seriously ill with a stroke each year, with two thirds being taken to Leeds and the other third to York.

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Once patients have received treatment at the specialist units, they are either discharged home with support from a rehabilitation team or transferred to Harrogate District Hospital for ongoing care.

Mr Cox previously said figures on survival rates had been “significantly skewed” by the pandemic and would be published at a later date.

He explained the figures were “skewed” as fewer patients had presented at hospitals with stroke symptoms due to Covid fears – something he added was “concerning”.

In his report to a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s scrutiny of health committee on Friday, Mr Cox provided some examples of the positive feedback.

One patient said:

“The doctors and staff in the stroke unit of York Hospital were fantastic – so kind and caring and I will always be indebted to them for literally saving my life.”

However, not all feedback has been positive with some residents in Scarborough raising concerns over similar changes introduced in the area.

Mr Cox said in his report that questions over transport times and staffing levels had been raised during public consultation events held in November.

He said:

“There was a vocal minority who challenged the move to the new stroke pathway, despite the clinical benefits.

“Although some anxieties remain about the new stroke pathways for the east coast and Harrogate areas, particularly from residents on the east coast and mainly related to travel and transport times, those who experienced the new pathway were very positive about the care that they received.”

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‘Positive’ feedback from stroke patients sent outside Harrogate for emergency treatment

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