Today saw the official opening of a new Acute Stroke Unit (ASU) and Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU) at Darent Valley Hospital.
Unveiled by Mr Avtar S Sandhu MBE and Dr David Hargroves, National Clinical Director for Stroke, the new HASU is the second of three specialist units to open in Kent and Medway.
The new unit will provide capacity for up to 14 HASU beds and 22 ASU beds enabling the Trust to care for more than 800 stroke patients a year, serving the population of Dartford, Gravesham, Swanley, part of Medway and some Bexley postcodes, dependent on ambulance conveyance times.
It has been built to accommodate six neuro inpatients and four beds dedicated to a planned Stroke Assessment Bay, where 90% of suspected stroke admissions will be directly brought in on arrival at the hospital. This means patients receive their critical diagnostics within the ‘golden hour’ and can quickly receive the care they need in the right place at the right time.
The unit also boasts new and improved dedicated rehabilitation areas to support patient recovery through physiotherapy and activities. A multidisciplinary team (MDT) room has been built to provide a dedicated area for family meetings and team meetings, as well as a therapy room to support group activities for patients and a refurbished therapy kitchen.
The Stroke Unit activity at Dartford has increased from 482 strokes in 2017 to 637 strokes in 2022. Once the HASU officially opens, it is expected a further 200 strokes will attend via London Ambulance Service.
The growth of the stroke unit is the result of the welcomed announcement in 2021 from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, who, following the Independent Review Panel, agreed to change the way stroke services are delivered across Kent and Medway. Since then, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (DGT) has worked closely with their community partners, HCRG Care Group, to further develop comprehensive stroke rehabilitation and prevention services for the region as well as neuropsychological rehabilitation for the local North West Kent population.
Addressing the many benefits of HASUs, DGT’s Clinical Lead, Prasanna Aghoram said: “HASUs are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and their aim is to consolidate the existing stroke resources across the region in order to meet national best practice standards. This means that everyone treated for stroke in Kent and Medway will receive consistently high-quality care, regardless of where they live in the region, or what time of the day or night their stroke occurs.”
Speaking of the benefits the new facilities will bring to the region, DGT’s Chief Executive, Jonathan Wade said: “A vast improvement in the management of stroke care at DGT has occurred over the last 4 years as a result in the investment in to stroke services. As one of the better performing stroke units in England, the development of DGT’s stroke services ensures patients in our local communities can continue to receive some of the highest quality stroke care in the country. The new facilities are a great example of how DGT is continually focusing on developing services and improving patient care. I am delighted we are now able to provide an environment for stroke patients that reflects the quality of care provided by stroke colleagues on a daily basis. I am also grateful to our stroke teams, who have continued to deliver a full service during the building works and maintained consistently outstanding care to our patients throughout.”
The Trust’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tom Clark added: "We're thrilled to announce the opening of the new Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU) at Darent Valley Hospital. Here, a dedicated team of stroke specialists—consultants, nurses, therapists, and dietitians—work together to provide rapid, round-the-clock care in the critical first 72 hours after a stroke diagnosis. With cutting-edge assessments and personalised treatment plans, our goal is to stabilise patients and ensure they receive the care they need, whether in hospital or the community."
The Trust is proud to offer some of the best stroke facilities in the region and is excited to see the positive impact on our local community.