Stephen Morgan MP paid a visit to QA Hospital Stroke Unit in Cosham to learn more about the care given to patients following stroke and the important community and rehabilitation services offered to support patient recovery.
The stroke service is the third busiest in England, with multidisciplinary teams supporting people through diagnosis, treatment and acute care, discharge, and community rehabilitation.
The service has recently undergone major service redesign in line with the national Stroke Strategy, with the site featuring a new garden which will officially open soon to support rehabilitation for those who have had a stroke or a brain injury.
Mr Morgan heard that stroke recovery is not complete when a patient is discharged, it is an ongoing process requiring both acute care and community-based recovery.
When further rehabilitation is required, patients aged 65 years or over will either be admitted to the Stroke Rehabilitation Ward or be transferred to their own home to continue with the Community Stroke Rehabilitation Team.
When discharged from the CSRT, ongoing support is currently provided by the Stroke Association run Stroke Recovery Service in Portsmouth, a specialised multidisciplinary service aiming to provide opportunities for survivors to rebuild their lives after stroke with confidence and independence.
Concerningly, the future of the service is doubt due to cuts by the city council which Mr Morgan and local Labour councillors are working with stroke survivors to call on decision-makers to rethink plans.
Commenting after the visit, City MP Stephen Morgan said:
“With 100,000 people in the UK experiencing stroke every year, it can happen to anyone at any time, with potentially devastating implications for quality of life thereafter.
The dedicated staff at QA Hospital’s Stroke Unit are delivering vital support to those who need it through acute care and community rehabilitation.
I will continue to do all that I can to advocate for funding and resourcing to ensure the service can provide the highest standard of care to patients in Portsmouth”
Caring for our local NHS is one of Mr Morgan’s top priorities and he has been fiercely campaigning to improve services across the city through additional funding, staffing and resourcing. He is also working alongside local Labour councillors and stroke survivors to ensure the Stroke Recovery Service is no longer under threat of closure. A motion is due before the Council in October.
