Urgent stroke services to leave Rotherham Hospital next week

Health bosses said the move — which comes into force on Wednesday — would save lives as patients would be seen first by more highly-trained, specialist staff.

After the critical first 72 hours after their stroke, they will be taken to Rotherham Hospital to continue their recovery.

Dr Peter Anderson, stroke consultant and lead for hyper acute stroke services in the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Integrated Care System (SYBICS), said: “These changes are about saving even more lives, reducing disabilities and better enabling us to deliver safe, high quality care for all stroke patients in our region.”

Mr Anderson confirmed this meant Rotherham patients would spend the first three days after their stroke away from the town but stressed they would receive “specialist care they need quickly”. 

Hospitals across the region have been working hard to make the new changes —which partners from the SYBICS confirmed have made no extra savings — run smoothly. 

Jennifer Gardner, head of stroke support at the Stroke Association, said the three hospitals would have access to specialist equipment and treatments 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Round the clock access to stroke units and brain scanners is essential and this may mean local patients travel further so their stroke treatment can be given more quickly,” she added. 

Additional expert doctors, nurses and therapists have also been recruited to deal with the extra influx of patients across the three units. 

Rotherham was considered as one of five units to be used as a specialist base under a consultation in 2017 before the decision was made to centralise services in Sheffield, Doncaster and Wakefield.

Paramedics will liaise with the nearest hyper acute stroke unit on their way to hospital — and patients “will be prioritised and bypass other assessment units”, SYBICS confirmed. 

A Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust spokesman called the changes were “really positive development”, adding: “A lot of planning and consultation has gone into making use of the latest cutting edge facilities in our neighbouring hospitals to enhance the service and ensure the best outcomes for Rotherham stroke patients.

Health workers’ union Unison declined to comment.