8,000 sign petition 'to save stroke services' ahead of today's decision
NHS Somerset will be making a decision on the plans later today
It's claimed NHS Somerset are 'in danger of committing a terrible mistake' as they're set to publish a recommendation on the future of stroke services.
A protest rally will be taking place later in Yeovil against plans to close hyper acute and acute wards in the county - as more than 8,000 people sign a petition against the plans.
Recommendations by the chief medical officer include making a single unit in Taunton for specialised services.
The petition reads: "It is widely recognised that the first 45 minutes after onset are crucial to recovery for a stroke patient. The additional time taken for patients, currently served by Yeovil District Hospital, in transporting them to the Hyper-Acute Stroke unit at Musgrove in Taunton is likely to have significant detrimental consequences to their subsequent recovery.
"We insist that Somerset NHS Foundation Trust reconsider and abort this planned removal of services and focus on continuing to maintain and improve Hyper-Acute and Acute Stroke care at both Musgrove Hospital and Yeovil District Hospital to ensure that adequate care is provided across Somerset, not just the Taunton area."
Earlier this month. the NHS published its recommendations which include: "Patients would be taken to their nearest hyper acute stroke unit. This could be out of Somerset if it was closer such as Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester."
The report suggested: "Hyper acute stroke services, with the establishment of a single Hyper Acute Stroke Unit at Musgrove Park in Taunton, providing 24/7 emergency treatment. Research shows that more people survive stroke and are able to live independently when specialised stroke services are located in one place."
Dr Bernie Marsden, Chief Medical Officer, at NHS Somerset said: “There was recognition from people who responded to the consultation that there was a need to change how stroke services in Somerset are organised. Currently, access to the best standards of care varies depending on where you live and the time of day you have a stroke. We want to eliminate that variation and ensure that the very best specialist emergency care is available, 24/7.
“It is important that we provide high-quality 24/7 stroke services which are safe and sustainable. This is why we are proposing to change the way acute hospital stroke services are organised in Somerset, so everyone in county will have the best opportunity to survive and thrive after stroke.”
A link to today's meeting can be found here