Stroke Medicine
Our Stroke Medicine Service is based both at the Queen's Campus and City Hospital Campus and delivers specialised care to adults of all ages.
Care ranges from emergency assessment and treatments (including clot-busting thrombolysis therapy and clot retrieval) in the first few hours after stroke to rehabilitation (physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy). These help the stroke survivor to return home and regain independence after a stroke.
The stroke service also treats patients with suspected minor strokes and Transient Ischaemic Attacks (TIAs) in a daily assessment unit in an attempt to prevent further larger strokes occurring.
The Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (C4), Acute Stroke Unit (C5) and TIA Assessment Unit are based at the QMC campus. Ongoing stroke rehabilitation (Daybrook Ward) is based at St Francis Hospital within the City Hospital Campus
C4 - Hyper Acute Stroke Unit
Contact us
0115 924 9924 ext. 89004
Our location
Ward C4
C Floor
West block
QMC
C5 - Acute Stroke Unit
Contact us
Tel: 0115 924 9924 Ext: 89005
Our location
C5
West Block
C Floor
QMC
Daybrook Ward
Daybrook is the Stroke Rehabilitation Unit. Patients who require a longer period of rehabilitation are transferred to Daybrook Ward from the Queens Campus.
Visiting times
In order to protect the safety of our patients please note the following changes:
From Sunday 22 March we will not allow any visitors unless they have been pre-arranged with the nurse in charge*.
Despite our earlier pleas for anyone feeling unwell or with symptoms of a cough or temperature to stay away, we have unfortunately had people with symptoms visiting our hospitals. This decision is to help protect our patients and staff.
Please think of other ways you can stay in touch with your relative/ friend, such as video calls.
We apologise for any distress this will cause and would appreciate your co-operation at this challenging time.
Thank you from everyone at Team NUH
*There will be special allowances made for birthing partners, parents of patients under the age of 18, relatives collecting patients on discharge and those at the end of life. These will be restricted and visitors must be pre-arranged with the nurse in charge.
We ask that the public respect these rules during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contact us
Tel: 0115 969 1169
Ext: 72061 or 72063
Our location
St Francis Hospital,
City Campus
TIA Assessment Unit
The TIA Assessment Unit is a specialist clinic that offers a rapid access 7 day service in SDEC, A floor, East Block, QMC.
You have been referred to the TIA Assessment Unit by your GP or the Emergency Department due your recent symptoms/event. If they suspected a TIA, you may have been offered Aspirin 300mg daily or Clopidogrel 300mg daily (unless contraindicated) and you need to continue to take this until you are seen in clinic.
We aim to see patients within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms where possible to reduce the risk of a stroke. The clinic assesses patients for TIAs and minor strokes.
What is a TIA?
A TIA stands for a Transient Ischaemic Attack. A transient ischaemic attack is a temporary disruption in the blood supply to the brain. TIAs are caused by a blockage in one of the arteries (blood vessels) supplying the brain with blood. Usually, the blockage is a blood clot. TIAs are often referred to mini strokes and are linked to stroke. They are a warning sign that you are at risk of stroke and should never be ignored.
Most TIAs are thought to resolve within 1 or 2 hours but can persist for up to 24 hours. Symptoms may include:
- Weakness or sensory loss on one side
- Slurred speech
- Incoordination or vertigo
- Transient loss of vision in one eye
- Homonymous hemianopia (visual field defect)
- Cranial nerve defects
When you attend the clinic you will be assessed and investigated by our TIA specialist team which consist of:
- Nursing team
- Stroke consultant
- Advanced clinical practitioner in stroke
- Doctors
Patients will undergo tests in the clinic and will receive the results on the same day. Patients should expect to be at the TIA clinic for several hours. A prescription will be issued for any new medication.
Tests (you may not require all of these investigations. We treat patients on an individual basis)
- Blood pressure
- ECG (heart recording)
- Blood tests
- Carotid Doppler (an ultrasound of the arteries in your neck)
- A brain scan (An MRI or CT scan)
Our nursing team will take your blood pressure and blood tests and complete an ECG on arrival.
If you require an MRI head, our MRI department is in West Block on A floor.
If you require a CT head, our CT scanners are in the Emergency Department between West and East Block on A floor or B floor West Block .
If you require a Carotid Doppler, the vascular lab is in West Block on E floor.
You will be given an allocated time to attend these departments. You will return to the clinic once your scheduled tests are complete. A clinician will then give you your results, recommendations, lifestyle advice if required and/or a prescription. The prescription can be collected from our pharmacy on B floor in the main entrance of the hospital
Refreshments
You may wish to go to Costa coffee or (B floor main entrance, or the restaurant (D floor West Block), There is a shop in the main entrance to buy refreshments. You may also wish to bring your own provisions.
What you need to bring to clinic?
Please bring a list of your current prescriptions you take. It is also important to tell us if you take any over the counter medications.
If you wish to bring a family member or friend to the appointment that is fine. It is often helpful, particularly if they witnessed the event/episode that led to your referral.
Driving
It is not safe or legal to drive until you have been seen in the TIA clinic. This is a DVLA requirement and the law. We will advise you in the clinic about driving restrictions related to your diagnosis once your tests are complete.
Further symptoms
If you have further symptoms before you attend clinic, call 999 urgently
Whilst in the clinic we would like you to complete a feedback either via our Ipad or a written card to tell us how we did.