Paramedics now video call QEH doctors to get immediate expert help for stroke patients

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust (The QEH) is working together with East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) to use video calls to help suspected stroke patients.

The scheme will allow ambulance clinicians to video call stroke consultants at The QEH while still on scene at the patient’s home.

EEAST paramedics video call the duty stroke doctor at The QEH to quickly triage and collaborate on safe and effective solutions to ensure suspected stroke patients receive the right care in the right place, first time.

Dr Leslie Mtariswa, clinical director for Stroke Medicine at The QEH, explained: “When someone has a stroke, it is so important that they seek medical attention immediately and that they then receive the most appropriate treatment in a timely way.

“Being able to already assess a patient before they’re admitted to hospital supports decision-making for time-critical treatments for those suffering an acute stroke.

“It also allows us to get patients to the right place with appropriate treatment as quickly as possible.

“We can pre-arrange CT scans on arrival at hospital, improve access to thrombolysis, and allow direct referral to TIA (transient ischaemic attack) clinics where appropriate.

“This is a very exciting development for the Stroke service in King’s Lynn, and one that will have a positive impact on patient outcomes”

Short delays to the treatment of strokes, which are a medical emergency and occur when blood flow to part of the brain is cut off, can be deadly or leave patients with life-changing disabilities.

Rebecca Martin, Medical Director at The QEH, said: “This triage project is a fantastic example of working in partnership to improve patient safety and positive patient outcomes.”