New care for stroke patients at Waikato Hospital

Stroke victims will now have world-class coordinated care through Waikato Hospital, thanks to a new Organised Stroke Service introduced at the hospital this week.

The aim is to be proactive in early diagnosis of people presenting at their GP, St John Ambulance or at Waikato Hospital emergency department with symptoms of stroke or trans ischaemic attacks (TIAs).

Raising public awareness of the emergency nature of stroke and TIA symptoms is a priority for the service.

“Patients should be brought to the emergency department without delay so we can improve outcomes. If someone thinks they are having a stroke they should tell the emergency department triage nurse straight away,” says clinical director Dr Peter Wright.

The service will then coordinate the patient’s journey from when they enter the hospital, through the acute stroke unit/inpatient wards, to discharge home with supports or to the hospital rehabilitation service.

Waikato DHB has invested $229,000 for the last two months of the current financial year to establish the service, which will be phased in over several months. Ongoing funding of more than $900,000 annually will ensure the seven days a week service can be fully resourced.

Dr Wright says the service brings together nursing, allied health and medical staff from both acute and rehabilitation services. “It’s about working to get the best outcome for each stroke patient, bringing all the resources we have to ensure they get the best care.

“As a result we expect fewer deaths from stroke or TIAs, reduction in the length of time people have to stay in hospital, and the ability to treat most TIA patients as day-stay cases,” he says. “We aim to avoid about 20 strokes that would otherwise followed a TIA, and markedly reduce death and disability rates after a stroke.”

The service will have its own staff and 18 beds for stroke patients, eight for acute patient care and 10 for rehabilitation care.

The Waikato DHB region has an ageing population.  Over the next 10 years, there will be a 40 per cent increase those aged more than 65 years of age.  Research indicates that the mean age for first ever stroke being 74.6 years for New Zealand Europeans but only 61.9 for Maori, so the Organised Stroke Service will be a key part of the Waikato DHB’s response to the needs of older Maori.

Ends

Note to editor: a photograph of Dr Peter Wright is available on request

Contact:
Bee Pears    
Senior Communications Consultant
Media & Communications
Waikato District Health Board
Email: PearsB@waikatodhb.govt.nz
Ph: 07 838 8899 x 23205