MP 'concerned' about stroke centre changes

An MP has claimed new stroke services at his local hospital will not be in place before the existing services at Yeovil Hospital are closed.

Health bosses intend to remove Yeovil's hyper-acute stroke unit (HASU), meaning the most urgent stroke patients will be transported to either Dorchester or Taunton for treatment.

The decision has received backlash from Somerset residents, who fear the extra journey times from the eastern part of the county would put patients at risk.

The Integrated Care Board said the move would lead to "better outcomes" for patients.

The business case for these changes was approved in late March by the NHS Somerset integrated care board, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

West Dorset MP Chris Loder claimed that this new facility will not be ready before the existing Yeovil HASU will close in May 2025.

Mr Loder, whose constituency includes Dorset County Hospital, has written to NHS Somerset's chief executive, expressing concerns about journey times and health outcomes.

He said: "I have significant reservations about the decision to remove stroke services from Yeovil Hospital – not least because my understanding is that provision in Dorset County Hospital will not be in place before the services at Yeovil Hospital are closed.

"This means an unnecessarily long journey for west Dorset's residents, and risks health outcomes until the services at Dorset County are operational."

Stroke services are categorised by the NHS into two sectors: hyper-acute (where emergency treatment is required within the first 72 hours) and acute (where the stroke is less life-threatening).

Under the agreed reforms, Yeovil will retain its acute stroke provision but all hyper-acute stroke patients will be transported to Taunton or Dorchester - wherever is closer.

“When we consider the long waiting and driving time of ambulances, this would indeed be a catastrophe for many stroke patients in Somerset," health campaigner Eva Bryczkowski told a Somerset Council meeting on Tuesday.

NHS guidelines currently advise that any hyper-acute stroke unit should be staffed by at least six qualified consultants and should operated between 08:00 and 20:00 seven days a week, seeing a minimum of 600 patients a year.

The changes are expected to cost around £4m out of Somerset’s health revenue budget, which includes cash for new staffing and transport costs.

Health bosses estimated the proposals will save £1m in the first full year of their implementation, rising to £3.5m by 2035.

NHS Somerset has been approached for comment.