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‘Lifesaving’ service goes 24/7 to help save lives of more stroke patients
- Life-changing NUH service now available 24/7, providing urgent treatment for patients who have had a severe stroke.
- The procedure, serving patients across the East Midlands, can help stroke patients to avoid lifelong disability.
- Increasing to a 24/7 service means that hundreds more patients a year will benefit from this treatment.
A life-changing service at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) is now available 24/7, providing urgent treatment for patients who have had a severe stroke across the East Midlands.
The Trust’s Mechanical Thrombectomy service provides a highly effective, minimally invasive procedure that restores blood flow to the brain. Though it is suitable for only around 5–10% of patients presenting with a stroke, the benefits are life-changing: for every 3–4 patients treated, one will avoid lifelong disability.
Pre (left) and post (right) mechanical thrombectomy images
Paul Haywood, from Leicestershire, had the procedure in 2023 and called it a ‘lifesaver’. Paul was rushed to the Queen’s Medical Centre from the Leicester Royal Infirmary, where doctors immediately suspected a stroke, just days after he had a transient ischemic attack, also known as a mini stroke.
Paul said: “My wife took one look at me and realised I wasn’t there, basically. She fetched a nurse from across the road, who also said there was something wrong. I could hear what was happening, but I couldn’t respond.
“I was in an ambulance in 15 minutes, was examined by an emergency doctor in Leicester and was rushed to Nottingham straight away. I can remember being whizzed through the emergency department and the operating staff were there waiting for me. The mask went on and the next thing I remember was my wife, brother and daughters being there.”
Just four months after having the procedure, Paul was back at work and while there has been some lasting impact of the stroke, he credits the procedure, his wife, Paula and the staff, including the doctor at Leicester who acted fast remained by his side until he came to Nottingham, with saving his life.
“One downside is that I am now partially blind in my left eye and so have had to come to terms with not being able to see wholly out of one eye. But that’s a small price to pay for being able to have a normal life. It could have been a lot worse and thankfully people were in the right place at the right time. If this is the treatment that’s needed, then the quicker the better. It’s brilliant and it’s a lifesaver. It’s giving the opportunity of life itself.”
Dr Kailash Krishnan, Head of Stroke Medicine at NUH, said: “Being able to offer Paul this groundbreaking treatment in a timely manner for a stroke subtype, which otherwise would have been fatal or significantly disabling, was highly rewarding. As a stroke physician, working at the ‘cutting edge of medicine’, which is still evolving, is stimulating and fulfilling’.
Sarah Mack, Head of Nursing and Professions, Genersis Directorate, said: “This is a huge step forward for stroke care across the East Midlands. Moving to a 24/7 thrombectomy service means that many more patients will have the chance to avoid lifelong disability and regain their independence after a severe stroke.
“Increasing to a 24/7 service means that hundreds more patients a year from across the East Midlands will benefit from this treatment. More stroke patients will have significantly reduced disabled outcomes, with some even seeing near full recovery immediately after having a stroke.”
Launched in 2016, the service currently sees around 200 patients a year, treating a regional population of around 4 million people, from Lincoln, Leicester, Derby and Mansfield. Thanks to significant investment, including £13.5 million of capital funding, primarily in radiology, and the commitment of staff across multiple teams, NUH is now able to provide the treatment round the clock.