STROKE services at Worcestershire Royal Hospital have smashed national targets every month for the past year.

Despite the hospital being under serious pressure since last year, 79 per cent of patients showing the warning signs of a stroke over the past 12 months were directly admitted to a dedicated unit, against a national target of 70 per cent. Of these, 86 per cent spent 90 per cent of their time in hospital on a dedicated unit, against a national target of 80 per cent.

Staff at the hospital’s centralised unit were also able to treat 69 per cent of those suffering high-risk transient ischaemic attacks (TIA), or ‘mini strokes’ within 24 hours, against a target of 60 per cent.

Stoke services in Worcestershire were centralised into a dedicated unit at the Royal in July 2013 and the teams have exceeded national performance target in all but one month since.

Consultant stroke physician Dr Phil Sanmuganathan welcomed the results.

“I am pleased we are now able to provide consistent, high levels of care to our patients,” he said.

“I’m very proud of the team for all the effort they have put in to hitting these targets.

“This achievement is not just about meeting national guidelines but also about improving and maintaining excellent care and treatment for our stroke patients.”

But it’s not all good news. All three sites run by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust – the Royal along with Kidderminster Hospital and Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital – have been under serious pressure since before Christmas, leading to increasing waiting times, an ever-lengthening backlog of elective operations and a £25.9 million deficit at the end of the 2014-15 fiscal year.

Last week it was announced the NHS Trust Development Authority Trust had drafted in specialist Marie-Noelle Orzel to oversee the running of the trust and help board members develop solutions to the myriad of problems.

Acting quickly is crucial to treating a stroke, which can be debilitating if it not treated swiftly.

Signs of a stroke include the face falling to one side, inability to raise both arms and keep them there and slurred speech. Anyone showing any of these symptoms or seeing them in someone else should call 999 immediately.