Stroke treatment access a 'postcode lottery'
BBCA musician who suffered a stroke on stage has described access to the life changing treatment she received as a "postcode lottery".
Nikki Summerill from Country Durham fell ill in 2022 while performing in Northumberland, where speedy access to a mechanical thrombectomy helped her to regain her speech within 20 minutes.
The NHS was expected to make the procedure available 24 hours a day across England from the start of April, but seven regional stroke centres, including James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, have missed the deadline.
Due to staff shortages, James Cook only offers the the blood clot removal treatment between 08:00 and 20:00, but Summerill fell ill outside those hours and said her treatment would have been delayed if it had happened in Middlesbrough.
A spokesperson for University Hospitals Tees said it is committed to developing a 24/7 service and has recently extended cover at James Cook.
'Frightening'
The Stroke Association's associate director for the North East and Yorkshire Sam Jones said without the procedure a stroke victim's brain would continue to be impacted by a blockage.
She said: "If you have your stroke in the evening or wake up early in the morning with symptoms, you're not going to be able to have that procedure that could potentially save parts of your brain and stop further damage.
"You have the procedure and come away with less life changing disabilities".
Having since returned to the stage, Summerill said: "It is frightening, my stroke happened at 20:55 and if I had been working in the Middlesbrough area I would not have received the treatment and therefore my recovery would have been much longer, if at all".
The spokesperson for University Hospitals Tees said patients outside the 12-hour window were still offered scans and clot‑busting treatment, while a mechanical thrombectomy would be carried out the next morning if needed.
They said the service now reached 80% of patients who required the procedure and work was ongoing with the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle to deliver a full regional 24/7 service.
An NHS England spokesperson said it was working directly with trusts and integrated care boards to improve access for all patients as soon as possible, including by providing extra targeted funding for training and additional staff to carry out mechanical thrombectomies.