Life-saving care being delivered for stroke patients from across Cheshire and Merseyside
Wednesday, 14 August 2024
Last week The Walton Centre in Liverpool hosted a visit from NHS England Medical Director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis.
He visited their Radiology Department and Liverpool University Hospitals' Stroke Emergency Assessment Centre, to hear about the great work they are doing in thrombectomy and the impact it's having on patients from across Cheshire and Merseyside.
For over two years, The Walton Centre has been providing a thrombectomy service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It was the first Trust to provide this for stroke patients in the north west, and is one of only nine in the country.
Thrombectomy is an innovative procedure which involves using guide wires and specialist equipment to remove blood clots from arteries in the brain.
Previously, patients from across Cheshire and Merseyside who were eligible for thrombectomy treatment were brought to The Walton Centre for this life-changing service between 8am to 8pm seven days a week. Outside of these hours, the service was not available anywhere in the region, leading to a potentially significantly altered outlook for patients. Being able to offer this specialist procedure 24/7 means a significant improvement in treatment for stroke patients across the region.
Since the 24/7 service started in October 2021, The Walton Centre has carried out almost 400 thrombectomy procedures, making a vital difference to patients.
The Walton Centre work closely with Aintree Hospital, who are based on the same site, and have a 19-bedded HASU (hyper-acute stroke unit), dedicated to caring for people in the critical 72-hour period after a stroke occurs. Patients suitable for the specialist thrombectomy treatment can be transferred efficiently and effectively from here, although the service does receive many referrals from all across the north west, North Wales and the Isle of Man – making it a vital regional resource.
Dr Sacha Niven, Consultant Neuroradiologist at The Walton Centre and Trust Lead for Thrombectomy, said:
“As the UK’s only specialist neuroscience Trust, The Walton Centre has long sought to pioneer the very latest techniques and treatment, in collaboration with its partners across the region, to save and change the lives of patients with neurological and neurosurgical conditions.
“It’s been fantastic to see the difference this service has made to patients from across the region so far, and we hope it will continue to significantly change the outlook for stroke patients in our communities.”
Professor Rowan Pritchard Jones, Medical Director at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said:
“It’s fantastic to see The Walton Centre are using some of the very latest techniques and treatment, working collaboratively with partners across Cheshire and Merseyside.
The Thrombectomy service has been designed so that patients experience the best outcomes possible following a stroke, when specialist intervention is key and every moment counts.
It’s great to see how the service is benefiting stroke patients across our communities.”