London’s centralised stroke services save 96 extra lives per year

Every year, London's centralised stroke services save around 96 stroke patients who would have died under standard hospital treatment, finds UCL-led research. The study, published in the BMJ, found that the 2010 centralisation of London stroke services also reduced the average hospital stay by around a day and a half. A less radical centralisation in Greater Manchester at a similar time had no effect on mortality but reduced the average hospital stay by two days. A stroke is when brain function is lost due to impaired blood supply, caused by blood clots or internal bleeding, and is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In England there are an estimated 125,000 strokes, leading to 40,000 deaths, every year. Since 2010, anyone suffering a stroke in London is taken to one of eight 24/7 Hyper Acute Stroke Units (HASUs) rather than the nearest hospital. Patients are assessed immediately by specialised stroke staff equipped to instantly perform brain imaging and give clot busting treatment where appropriate.