People with stroke symptoms will shortly be able to receive a diagnosis anywhere in Wales before arriving at hospital.
The roll out of Pre-Hospital Video Triage (PHVT) across Wales is being finalised, enabling stroke specialists to work remotely with paramedics via video call to make a diagnosis and decide on the best course of action before a patient reaches hospital.
Stroke is a medical emergency. It is a leading cause of death and long-term disability in Wales. Short delays to treatment result in preventable mortality and disability
The PHVT service, being rolled out across Wales following successful pilots supported by NHS Wales Performance and Improvement through the National Stroke Implementation Network, enables faster diagnosis and treatment times for stroke, improving prospects of survival and recovery.
The service facilitates more accurate initial detection of stroke, with the specialists accessed using PHVT able to achieve 90 per cent accuracy. The FAST method that can be used by the public, focusing on face weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, successfully identifies stroke 50 per cent of the time.
Cases using the PHVT service in Wales have resulted in 50 per cent more patients receiving Thrombolysis, a medical treatment that uses clot-busting drugs to break down blood clots in the brain, than the Welsh average. Rates of Thrombectomy, an emergency procedure that physically removes blood clots from the brain, have been double the Welsh average for cases where PHVT has been used.
Dr Shakeel Ahmad, National Clinical Lead for Stroke, said: “Stroke is a significant brain injury affecting millions of brain cells every minute before treatment is administered.
“PHVT gives clinicians the opportunity to quickly and accurately diagnose stroke remotely, enabling them to prepare immediate treatment for when the patient arrives at hospital. Providing faster diagnosis in this way will result in more people surviving stroke, with better prospects for recovery.
“This is a critical step forward for stroke care in Wales, which will have far-reaching benefits for patients, their loved ones and families, and the wider health and care system.”
NHS Wales Performance and Improvement has been supporting the PHVT pilots as part of wider efforts to improve care across the stroke pathway in line with the Quality Statement for Stroke.
The quality statement aims to improve quality-of-life outcomes for people at risk of stroke, those who have had a stroke, their carers, family and loved ones, and the stroke workforce.
Dr Anthony Gibson, Medical Director, NHS Wales Performance and Improvement, said: “Stroke colleagues across Wales should be congratulated for their efforts, supported by the National Stroke Clinical Implementation Network, to introduce Pre-Hospital Video Triage.
“Not only will this development make a meaningful difference to people who experience stroke and those around them, but improving outcomes will also reduce the burden of stroke on NHS resources, which are under pressure.
“There is significant scope to build on this excellent work across other specialties, which we will explore for the benefit of both patients and the wider healthcare system across Wales.”
For more information about areas across the pathway that NHS Wales is targeting for improvement, view the Quality Statement for Stroke