News

Working with partners based at the North Mersey Stroke Service at Aintree University Hospital, The Walton Centre has optimised the 24/7 thrombectomy service pathway for patients experiencing strokes in Cheshire and Merseyside, as well a North Wales and the Isle of man. Recently, a Senior Thrombectomy Nurse role has begun to coordinate the pathway, ensuring patient care at the UK’s only specialist neurosciences hospital is seamless and efficient.

Starting at the end of May, senior trained staff nurses in the role have hit the ground running, handling initial referrals and coordinating the Walton thrombectomy team every time a stroke patient is transferred to the centre for a thrombectomy, thereby responding to the increasing demand for this procedure. The North Mersey Stroke Service at Aintree, along with other stroke centres in the region, refer eligible patients to The Walton Centre for thrombectomy.

Teams and departments at The Walton Centre involved in the pathway include: Consultant Neurologists, Neurology Registrars, Consultant Interventional Neuroradiologists, Radiographers and Radiology Scrub Nurses, Consultant Anaesthetists, Operating department practitioners, Theatre and ICU  team, nurses and doctors in the surgical and medication acute response team (SMART), Ward Clerks and Bed Managers. 

A mechanical thrombectomy is when blood clots causing a stroke are removed from the brain using a guidewire through a vein or artery, restoring oxygen supply to the areas of the brain affected. This is done under anaesthesia in specialist interventional radiology rooms, and require coordinated team working between all members of the thrombectomy team. Treated quickly, patients can avoid life-changing outcomes or death.

Clinical Lead for the Thrombectomy Service and Deputy Medical Director Dr Sacha Niven said: “I’m delighted that we’re able to essentially upgrade this vital service and begin to increase the treatment rate. The service moved to a 24/7 model in October 2021, and since then staff have been working above and beyond to provide this procedure to patients who need it. That’s not come without its challenges, and by having a specialist nursing role at the helm, a more streamlined process can be implemented.”

NHS England has recently prioritised the delivery of mechanical thrombectomy, encouraging services across the UK to make the procedure more widely available for patients who have certain types of acute ischaemic stroke. They have also set targets to increase provision to 15% of stroke patients who qualify for the procedure, a significant increase.  

This was reiterated to The Walton Centre and its partner organisations by Sir Professor Steven Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England and David Hargroves, National Clinical Director for Stroke Medicine, during their visit to review provision at the Trust in August 2024.

Divisional Director of Operations for Neurology Jen Duffy said: “The trend of people experiencing ischemic strokes is on the rise, so optimising access to our Thrombectomy Service is incredibly important. Collaborating with our partners and working hard to streamline the pathway will mean faster patient transfers, efficient treatment, and hopefully faster recovery times.”

The NHS Long Term Plan sets out the need for Integrated Stroke Delivery Networks (ISDNs) in all areas of England, bringing people and organisations together to deliver the best possible care for their population. There are approximately 85,000 patients who have a stroke each year, over 11,600 of those are in the North West region of England.

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Pictured: Various members of the team running The Walton Centre’s Thrombectomy Service.

Notes to editors

Further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact the Communications Team at The Walton Centre on 0151 556 3397 or wcft.communications@nhs.net

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is the only hospital trust in the UK specialising in neurology, neurosurgery and pain services. Although the majority of patients come from Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, Lancashire and the Isle of Man, for some specialist treatments of complex disorders we see patients from all parts of the country, referred by their GPs or other neurologists, neurosurgeons and pain clinicians.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. The independent regulator of all health and social care services in England published its rating on Friday 21 October 2016, following announced and unannounced inspection visits to the Trust in April 2016.

For more information please visit: www.thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk or follow the Trust on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Lower Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool L9 7LJ
0151 525 3611

Read The Walton Centre has enhanced thrombectomy pathway thanks to partner collaboration and new specialist thrombectomy nurse role…

The North West Neurosurgery Specialised Services Clinical Network (SSCN) held its inaugural board meeting this week, marking a significant milestone.

The SSCN brings together the region’s three providers: The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, the Northern Care Alliance and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals.

Funded by NHS England North West, the remit of the network is to ensure patients receive the highest levels of patient-centred, multidisciplinary care in the most appropriate environment and to also collaborate to provide professional and clinical leadership design and deliver high-quality services.

SSCN Chair Professor Paul May said: "Our key priority is to establish a collaborative platform across all three providers, an approach that enabled the Board to hear our plans for the coming years, focused on pathway assessments and opportunities to enhance access, outcomes, and experience."

SSCN Network Manager Alastair Leslie-Dakers said: "The inaugural Network Board was a significant milestone in the development of our collaboration. It marks the start of our journey, working together to strategically plan and develop NHS neurosurgery services in the North West."

Sign up to the SSCN newsletter here: Click Here

Read North West Neurosurgery Specialised Services Clinical Network launched to ensure high quality leadership and service delivery…

Consultant neurosurgeon Miss Deepti Bhargava and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Mr Narendra Rath have begun delivering endoscopic surgery for patients needing spinal cord implants.

To reduce debilitating back pain, patients who qualify for the implant and procedure are benefitting from the minimally invasive surgery. Small incisions allow the precise equipment to make paths for electrodes, which are placed near key areas of the spine relating to the patient’s pain. Once connected to an implanted battery pack, the current delivered disrupts the nerve signals, with the aim of reducing pain, in many cases, significantly.

Miss Bhargava said: “Endoscopic surgery and implant surgery have been on offer to patients for a number of years. But to combine them in the way that we have has been revolutionary for this patient group. With the minimally invasive nature of the procedure, patients are able to heal quickly, and this means testing and then switching on the implant is quicker too.”

Mr Rath said: “Being established as a Centre of Excellence in endoscopic spinal surgery already, it was natural to expand the learned skillset across other subspecialities. Working with Miss Bhargava was an immense pleasure, and I am sure this will help more patients in the near future. I would like to thank The Walton Centre and RIWO Spine for their kind support in this project.” 

Debbie Daniel, who underwent this procedure in March, said: “I was so glad when I got the all-clear to be able to have this procedure. My pain has steadily got worse, to the point where sleeping was becoming impossible. The surgery was successful, and I’ve healed really quickly because the wounds were small. Now the implant is turned on, I would say my pain has reduced drastically and I’m so grateful!”   

Learn more about the innovative new trial procedure by watching the video below:

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Notes to editors

Further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact the Communications Team at The Walton Centre on 0151 556 3397 or wcft.communications@nhs.net

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is the only hospital trust in the UK specialising in neurology, neurosurgery and pain services. Although the majority of patients come from Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, Lancashire and the Isle of Man, for some specialist treatments of complex disorders we see patients from all parts of the country, referred by their GPs or other neurologists, neurosurgeons and pain clinicians.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. The independent regulator of all health and social care services in England published its rating on Friday 21 October 2016, following announced and unannounced inspection visits to the Trust in April 2016.

For more information please visit: www.thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk or follow the Trust on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Lower Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool L9 7LJ
0151 525 3611

Read First few groundbreaking endoscopic spinal cord stimulator surgeries carried out…

 

Last week we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our Walton Centre Charity Golf Day at the stunning Formby Golf Club — and what a way to mark the occasion! 

Thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone who took part and supported the event, we’re thrilled to share that we raised a fantastic £25,000 in aid of our Home from Home accommodation.

We’re so grateful to Formby Golf Club for hosting us every year, and to Investec, our headline corporate supporters since 2015, for their continued backing.

A special thanks to our brilliant host David Fairclough, and to all of our wonderful guests including football legends Jim Beglin, Gary McAllister, Dave Brammer, Leon Osman, and the legendary Stan Boardman for making the day so memorable.

Here’s to another ten years of swings, putts, and powerful impact for our patients and families!

Read The Walton Centre Charity celebrates its 10th anniversary golf day…

 

As you know, Liverpool’s five adult acute and specialist providers have been working together since last year on plans to develop a shared strategy and form a city-wide hospital group: NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHL Group).

Our individual hospitals have strong identities, distinct cultures and provide excellent care for patients each year. This will continue. Working as one Group will help us improve the things that don’t work as well while retaining the things that are great and can further strengthen our clinical services and benefit patients.

This work has been progressing well and we all share an unwavering commitment to do things differently – to be bold, think big and be really ambitious about how we can deliver the best healthcare for our patients now and in the future. We are building on strong foundations and, together, we are forming a clear vision for the future.

Revised timeline for forming UHL Group

Our reasons for becoming a Group have not changed – over the last few months, though, it has become clear that we can, and should, now accelerate our plans by bringing all five organisations into the new Group over the course of 2025/26, rather than over several years. 

As you know, the Group already includes Liverpool University Hospitals and Liverpool Women’s. The new timeline for the others to join is expected to be:

• Q2 (by Sep 2025): Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital
• Q3 (by Dec 2025): The Walton Centre
• Q4 (by Mar 2026): The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre

Our shared Group Board will focus on our overall strategy and decisions that affect us all. It’s important, however, that the hospitals retain their autonomy and are led by people who are based on site and directly connected to the patients, staff and services there: 

• We will confirm membership of the new Group Board and the individual hospital leadership teams over the next two months.
• The UHL Group Board will comprise Hospital Executive Managing Directors plus Group Corporate roles alongside non-executive directors. 
• There is a desire and commitment to ensure that the Board has the knowledge and experience of each hospital within the group represented at board level to ensure all hospitals have a voice around the board table.

 

Hospital leadership teams
 

The aim is for hospitals to be run by their own Hospital Management Boards, responsible for around 4,000 to 6,000 staff and a turnover of around £400m to £600m each year. Hospitals will retain their names and individual identities even if they have the same management board.

From April 2026, the Hospital Management Boards (HMBs) will comprise:

• Aintree and The Walton Centre  
• Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and Broadgreen 
• The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and Diagnostics
• Royal Liverpool (including the Dental Hospital)
• Liverpool Women’s Hospital – this may be amended in future to reflect any recommendations from NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s current review of maternity and gynaecology services in Liverpool 

 

Corporate services

Corporate and non-clinical staff play a vital role in supporting clinical colleagues as well as helping our organisations run smoothly. It’s important that we have the right teams and structures in place for the new Group and our hospitals. 

By coming together as one Group, we can think differently about how corporate services are provided collectively, creating new workforce models that will be more resilient and more efficient.

We will work on corporate service models with the relevant teams over the next few months to create certainty for everyone as soon as we can. HR teams will work very closely with unions and staffside representatives to ensure we are doing the right thing for our staff and organisations. 

 

Advantages of the new timeline

There are many advantages to this:

• We can start achieving the benefits more quickly from being a Group. 
• It creates certainty sooner for everyone.
• It will also make it easier for everyone to work as one and reach the right decisions on the things that affect us all, while keeping autonomy over the things that are specific to particular organisations or sites. 
• Sharing one Group Board will reduce the inevitable duplication and delays that come with having separate Trust Boards, while the new hospital management boards will have local decision-making powers.

 

Group model benefits

Our individual hospitals will retain, their own unique identities, cultures and strengths. 

We have outstanding, expert and caring staff who deliver their best every day. Our reputations help us attract and retain talent from across the globe, as well as our local communities. 

And we can be even stronger together as one Group that values each member equally: 

• We can develop a shared strategy and clear vision for how clinical services are delivered, focusing on what makes most sense now and for the future. 
• We can make clinical pathways – including complex diagnostic testing and lab analysis – smoother by reducing duplication and referrals between different hospitals. This will benefit patients and staff.
• Our scale as one combined Group will make us a highly attractive proposition for research and innovation and income-generating opportunities. It will strengthen our hand in negotiations with suppliers and potential partners. 
• We can achieve the greatest benefit from our individual strengths and talents – for example, by building on the commercial, research or educational successes in one hospital so they can be offered across the Group. 
• It will help us develop a shared electronic patient record and greater digital integration, making it easier for clinical teams to access the information they need without delays. Patients won’t need to have duplicate tests or reshare their details at different hospitals because clinicians will have access to their records. 
• We can deliver corporate and support services more effectively, efficiently and resiliently by working as one team, with some shared Group-wide roles and appropriate local site-based roles. 
• Staff education, training and career progression will be greater as one Group. The Group will provide opportunities for staff to move between hospitals when they want to change roles or broaden their experience. 

 

Next steps

We will keep people updated on progress with our University Hospitals of Liverpool Group: Stronger Together programme.

Read University Hospitals of Liverpool Group: Stronger Together programme update…

Two Merseyside hospital trusts have retained their status as a centre of excellence for the treatment of brain cancer.

The Walton Centre and The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, along with the North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre, have retained Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence status, highlighting the trusts’ outstanding patient care and expertise in brain tumour treatment and research 

The trio form the Liverpool and North Wales Neuro-Oncology Network, and were  announced alongside 13 other UK centres at an award ceremony at the Francis Crick Institute last night.

The Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence status was first launched in 2020 following the death of Dame Tessa Jowell, Labour MP and former Culture Secretary who was diagnosed with a glioblastoma in 2017.

Centres awarded the status this year have met even higher standards of brain tumour treatment and care.

Consultant neurosurgeon Professor Michael Jenkinson, who leads neuro-oncology research at The Walton Centre said: “I’m delighted that the network has been reaccredited by the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM). I am privileged to work with some amazing people who are all striving to improve clinical services for the benefit of brain tumour patients.”

Consultant Clinical Oncologist Dr Shaveta Mehta, who specialises in neuro-oncology at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre said: “The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has been a centre of expertise for the treatment of brain tumours in the region for many years and provides the highest standard of care for patients and their families dealing with such a difficult diagnosis.

“Our reaccreditation as a Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence further cements our commitment to providing the best possible patient care and access to the latest clinical trials. It is a reflection of the hard work and commitment of our team.”

The Liverpool Network joined NHS teams from across the UK to be recognised for the excellent treatment, care and research they provide to patients with a brain tumour, following a review process led by a committee of NHS and patient experts.

Ashley Leech, 41 from Leyland near Preston, is a patient of both The Walton Centre and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. Ashley was diagnosed with Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that increases the risk of benign and malignant tumours in various parts of the body, including the brain, in 2005. Since then, Ashley has had numerous surgical interventions and radiotherapy. He’s recently joined a drug trial led by the network, which is shrinking his brain tumours.

Ashley said: “My surgeons are gobsmacked. I’m grateful for being able to join the trial and have it work well so far. The care I’ve received at both The Walton Centre and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has been exceptional. Throughout my life they have been looking after me, helping me manage my tumours with surgeries and radiotherapy, and now being able to offer new treatments. Most importantly, they’ve been working together to offer me the best care and treatment available in the NHS.”

Lisa Hefford, 53, is from Birkdale, near Southport. She was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2024 and has received care at both The Walton Centre and The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. Lisa said: “My experience at both hospitals has been outstanding. I spent time at The Walton Centre when I was going through lots of diagnostic tests, including a brain biopsy. The team were incredible; they are experts in their field.

“The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has been treating me and I’m currently on a clinical trial. My treatment has been going well and the team, including Dr Mehta, have been so supportive and fighting my corner. I’m at a loss for words at the amazing care I’ve received from both hospitals.”

In each centre, the whole team treating brain tumours, from surgeons and nurses through to physiotherapists, oncologists, palliative care specialists and researchers, came together to undergo a thorough assessment of their services. Centres awarded were deemed by a panel of experts to meet the high standards of excellence in areas including clinical care, quality of life care and access to clinical trials/research.

Chair of the TJBCM Professor Richard Gilbertson said: “The Centre of Excellence programme continues to give us an unprecedented view of the treatment, care and research of brain tumours in the UK; we now know better than ever where the NHS is excelling, but also where we need to come together to collectively address national challenges.”

For more information on the Mission, go to: https://www.tessajowellbraincancermission.org/    

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Notes to editors

Photo attached: Members of the clinical teams from both The Walton Centre and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

For further information from The Walton Centre

Please contact the Communications Team at The Walton Centre on 0151 556 3397 or wcft.communications@nhs.net

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is the only hospital trust in the UK specialising in neurology, neurosurgery and pain services. Although the majority of patients come from Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, Lancashire and the Isle of Man, for some specialist treatments of complex disorders we see patients from all parts of the country, referred by their GPs or other neurologists, neurosurgeons and pain clinicians.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. The independent regulator of all health and social care services in England published its rating on Friday 21 October 2016, following announced and unannounced inspection visits to the Trust in April 2016.

For more information please visit: www.thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk or follow the Trust on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Lower Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool L9 7LJ
0151 525 3611

Read Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence status retained by Liverpool Cancer Network…

Over 25,000 patients at The Walton Centre now use an innovative process to have greater control over their ongoing care.

Called ‘Patient Initiated Follow-Up’ (PIFU), patients with long term neurological conditions, and some that are post-elective surgery, can now request appointments directly in order to maintain their care.

Divisional Director of Operations for Neurology Jen Duffy said: “The team has worked hard to introduce PIFU and give control to patients who are being asked to attend appointments here at The Walton Centre. Patients were sometimes travelling a long way into the hospital for appointments, which may have been putting undue anxiety and strain on them.

“This way, patients with long-term or ongoing neurological conditions have a direct line to their clinical team, so when they feel like something has changed, they can call and get an appointment or new assessment promptly. I’m delighted we’ve been able to offer this greater, more nuanced, level of support to so many patients.”  

To date, 26,761 patients have signed up for PIFU and managing their access to The Walton Centre.

Linda, 69, from St Helens, was referred to The Walton Centre with neck pain via her GP. Linda has type two diabetes, and has been advised to reduce her HbA1c level to allow for safe surgical intervention.

She said: “The referral process for my neck pain has been really smooth so far. I’ve been assessed and reviewed, and was given three years to improve my HbA1c before I can be a candidate for surgery. I’ve now got two years left of the three years and being able to stay in touch with the hospital via PIFU has been marvellous; really reassuring. 

“Not being referred back to my GP in the meantime, and knowing I am still ‘in the system’, for when my situation improves or changes, means I can get seen by the experts a lot quicker. This way, when I’m ready for surgery, I can go straight to my clinician and say: ‘I’m ready.’”

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Picture attached: The Neurology Division Operational team responsible for PIFU

Notes to editors

Further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact the Communications Team at The Walton Centre on 0151 556 3397 or wcft.communications@nhs.net

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is the only hospital trust in the UK specialising in neurology, neurosurgery and pain services. Although the majority of patients come from Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, Lancashire and the Isle of Man, for some specialist treatments of complex disorders we see patients from all parts of the country, referred by their GPs or other neurologists, neurosurgeons and pain clinicians.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. The independent regulator of all health and social care services in England published its rating on Friday 21 October 2016, following announced and unannounced inspection visits to the Trust in April 2016.

For more information please visit: www.thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk or follow the Trust on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Lower Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool L9 7LJ
0151 525 3611

Read Thousands of patients initiate their own follow-up appointments thanks to innovative new scheme…

Neurosurgical Trainee Mr Ahmad Ali has been awarded a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Doctoral Fellowship, to continue vital research assessing the extent of cognitive problems suffered by patients with brain tumours, and exploring an exciting device that might help with cognitive rehabilitation. 

The fellowship, which will fund Mr Ali’s research for the next three years, will look into the use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, a non-invasive technique commonly used for depression and other neurological conditions. During his PhD he will use advanced MRI scans to gain a deeper insight into what underlies cognitive problems. 

Mr Ali said: “I’m honoured to be awarded this fellowship from the NIHR, and really delighted that I can continue research that addresses a real patient need. It's exciting to be able to explore a new use for this device and get a better understanding of cognitive problems."

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a non-invasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate specific areas of the brain. It is a safe and effective treatment option for various mental health conditions, including depression. If successful, the findings of this new research can potentially be extended to other neurosurgical patient groups. 

This fellowship is one of the first to be awarded to a clinician at The Walton Centre, and one of few to be awarded in Liverpool.

The Walton Centre’s Deputy Chief Executive and Medical Officer Dr Andrew Nicolson said: “It’s so important to support research, and just as importantly, the people driving the research such as Mr Ali. I am pleased that research such as this is being done here at The Walton Centre, which will potentially go on to benefit a number of our patients in the future.”

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Notes to editors

Further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact the Communications Team at The Walton Centre on 0151 556 3397 or wcft.communications@nhs.net

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is the only hospital trust in the UK specialising in neurology, neurosurgery and pain services. Although the majority of patients come from Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, Lancashire and the Isle of Man, for some specialist treatments of complex disorders we see patients from all parts of the country, referred by their GPs or other neurologists, neurosurgeons and pain clinicians.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. The independent regulator of all health and social care services in England published its rating on Friday 21 October 2016, following announced and unannounced inspection visits to the Trust in April 2016.

For more information please visit: www.thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk or follow the Trust on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Lower Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool L9 7LJ
0151 525 3611

Read Top research fellowship awarded to neurosurgical trainee looking at cognitive solutions…