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