PROPOSALS for the the improvement of stroke services in Crediton are explained in this special article written by a local doctor, Joe Mays. He writes:

We want to develop stroke services for people in Crediton and would like to hear local thoughts on how we could do this.

Your stroke services are currently provided by the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (for the hospital part of stroke care) and the Northern Devon NHS Healthcare Trust (for the rehabilitation part of stroke care).

The local healthcare clinical commissioning group has been working closely with stroke specialists in both NHS providers, as well as with advisers from the Stroke Association, on proposals to improve the service for stroke patients and their carers.

At the moment, patients with enough support and who are well enough to continue their rehabilitation at home, will usually go home directly from the RD&E's stroke unit.

This is an important part of the service and our emphasis on helping people to return directly home will continue.

Some patients need more support and care for a longer period of time following their stroke.

Currently, these patients move from the RD&E to the stroke rehabilitation units at Exmouth and Crediton community hospitals and they might need to stay in the rehabilitation unit for many weeks.

Although the outcomes for patients and carers using the existing community stroke rehabilitation units are good and the experience is normally very positive, travelling to the units can be difficult for families, especially if they are using public transport.

Added to this, we have learned that dispersing the nursing and clinical teams over two small units does not make the best use of highly specialist skills and resources to bring maximum benefit for patients.

In view of this your local clinicians have been looking at the possibility of consolidating the rehabilitation units onto one site. For this reason we are keen to have your views through the 'have your say' survey.

We have organised a series of focus groups with members of the public to discuss future plans for stroke services – details of the Crediton group are below:

Crediton – Tuesday, January 21, from 11am – 12.30pm, at Crediton Fire Station, Charlotte Street, Crediton, EX17 3BJ.

If you are interested in being part of these groups and being involved in the near future, please contact Ann Fugler, Stroke Association on 01392 447 361 between 9am – 1pm, Monday to Thursday.

If you would like to complete the 'have your say' survey, please contact Ann Fugler as above. Other versions are available on request, for example aphasia friendly or different languages.

Dr Joe Mays

Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group