Stroke Association recovery services axed at King's Mill Hospital

The Stroke Association's North Nottinghamshire branch revealed the news on Tuesday in a statement which said it would now be unable to accept new referrals or continue to provide the service at the hospital.

It means that, after September 30 when the funding comes to an end, stroke survivors, their carers and their families will no longer be able to attend the Stroke Association-provided service at Sutton's hospital.

Stephanie Morley, Stroke Association's support coordinator, said: "It is with sincere regret and sadness that Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has notified us that funding for our Stroke Recovery Service will cease on September 30, 2019.

"As a result and with immediate effect we are no longer able to accept new referrals into the service and, after September 30, we will be unable to provide a service to stroke survivors, their carers and families at King's Mill Hospital.

"People will still be able to access our website, www.stroke.org.uk, contact our Helpline on 0303 3033 100 or email [email protected] for information and support.

"I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting our service and to ask you pass on this news to your colleagues."

A spokesman for Sherwood Forest Hospitals said: "The decision to stop funding the stroke recovery service that is run by the Stroke Association has been discussed between the trust and the association over the last 18 months, looking at various ways of working, with full impact assessments being completed.

"These assessments identified that we are the only trust commissioning this sign posting service within the county and it is only approximately 20 per cent of our stroke survivors within our area who utilise the service, which was mainly delivered within the community.

"Stroke survivors will still be able to access the stroke recovery service through their helpline, website and the My Stroke Guide forum.

"This is an online community which has been designed by stroke survivors and carers to ensure it is accessible and in a format which works.

"Stroke survivors and their carers can access this 24/7 for information and support for any issues or enquiries they may have following a stroke.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank the stroke recovery service for all their support they have provided to our community."