ensure swift access to care for stroke patients
A rapid, remote video assessment system for stroke patients that offers swifter access to life-saving treatment has helped hundreds of patients across Hertfordshire in its first year of operation.
The stroke video triage system at Watford General Hospital links ambulance crews to a hospital stroke specialist via a tablet so they can assess suspected stroke patients.
The remote assessment – which is nurse led – ensures specialists can request imaging and tests before the patient’s arrival and patients are taken to the right place, first time for treatment, sidestepping assessment in the emergency department (A&E). This prompt access to imaging and earlier treatment leads to improved patient outcomes.
West Herts Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which manages Watford General, partnered with the region’s ambulance service - East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust - to launch the pilot video assessment programme at Watford General Hospital in December 2023.
Since its launch, the initiative has gone from strength to strength with over 170 patients assessed in this way. 99% of stroke patients are now scanned within an hour of arrival, up from 80% before implementation and, on average, 40 minutes more quickly than before.
Colleagues at West Herts have praised the system for the difference it makes to patients and staff. Karyn Butchard, Lead Stroke Nurse Specialist and Clinical Lead for the project, said: “Getting a specialist assessment before arriving at the hospital allows suspected stroke patients to receive imaging right away when they arrive at Watford General, speeding up their access to critical stroke treatments."
Brittany Wells, Clinical Lead (Stroke Video Triage) at the East of England Ambulance Service Trust, said: "Stroke video triage is a huge success at Watford General Hospital. Since implementation, we have seen a 17-minute reduction in the time from the patient arriving at hospital to being treated with clot-busting medication.
“The success of stroke video triage at Watford is testament to the dedication and hard work of the ambulance crews and in-hospital teams who have been so engaged with this new process.”
Patients have also praised the system, with one patient commenting: “My experience of the ambulance crew being able to do a video link direct to the stroke nurse was amazing. It really gave me comfort and reassurance knowing they knew what to expect when I arrived."
The ‘Act FAST’ campaign launched by NHS England increases knowledge of the signs of a stroke and encourages people to dial 999 immediately in response to any sign – even if it doesn’t seem like much.