Support Your
Midlands Air Ambulance Charity
The advanced clinical team at Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is raising awareness of its lifesaving thrombectomy transfers in Coventry and Warwickshire, Herefordshire, and Shropshire for stroke patients to mark World Stroke Day.
Taking place on Sunday 29th October 2023, World Stroke Day builds public awareness and understanding of strokes, focusing on stroke prevention, symptom awareness, treatments, and aftercare. A key treatment in improving the outcomes for stroke patients is to undergo a thrombectomy.
A thrombectomy is a clot retrieval treatment, which involves removing the blood clots from the brain. This procedure improves the survival rates and reduces disability for many people and increases the chance of a good outcome by more than 50 per cent. This highly specialised procedure can only take place in a specialist stroke unit, in which one in ten more people make an excellent recovery when cared for in a specialised stroke unit.
Since November 2020, the charity’s advanced helicopter-led emergency service has been conducting transfers for stroke patients in Herefordshire, and Coventry and Warwickshire, transporting them from Hereford County Hospital and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust to the specialist stroke unit at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust for them to receive thrombectomy treatment.
Since February 2023 patients in Shropshire at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (part of The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust) have been transferred from to the specialist stoke unit at Royal Stoke University Hospital part of the University of North Midlands Hospitals NHS Trust for them to have a thrombectomy. Since April 2023 alone, the charity has completed 39 transfers, helping to save the lives of stroke patients across the region.
Dr Mark Nash, medical director for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, explains: “When a person suffers from a stroke, time for advanced treatment is imperative. A thrombectomy usually needs to be performed within six hours to ensure the patient has the best possible chance of survival and recovery. We are proud to offer our advanced rapid response service to the regions of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Coventry, where we can swiftly transport patients so that they are in the best possible hospital to undergo lifesaving treatment as quickly as possible.”
To learn more about the charity’s clinical operations, visit the charity's clinical pages. To learn more on how to support the charity, visit the charity's website or follow the charity on social media.