Stroke team’s international partnership
University Hospitals Dorset’s stroke team has been involved in a global health programme to improve stroke services across the world.
Wessex Global Stroke Partnerships (WGSP) is a voluntary initiative between stroke clinicians throughout Wessex and partners in Ghana and The Gambia.
Established since 2009, WGSP was one of the first UK groups to support stroke care development in sub-Saharan Africa, leading to the opening of the first stroke unit in west Africa in 2014.
The partnership supports the development of stroke care through the development of core stroke skills that benefit the majority of patients. The teams work closely to ensure local solutions are found for local problems, in a culturally appropriate way.
Dr Louise Johnson, consultant therapist at University Hospitals Dorset (UHD), is a founding member and co-lead for the partnership, which also involves clinicians from Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and other partners.
Louise said: "One of the most important things we can do to improve outcomes for someone with stroke is care for them on a dedicated unit that is staffed by a specialist and skilled multidisciplinary team.
“There is strong evidence that stroke units save lives, and this is why our partnership focuses on developing coordinated stroke care.”
Professor Albert Akpalu is a consultant neurologist and project lead at Korle Bu Teaching Hosptial in Accra.
He said: “This visit has been most fulfilling, seeing the culmination of our efforts to improve MDT stroke care in the underserved areas of Ghana.
“After initial training at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, our stroke care leads at Tamale and Ho hospitals have set the ball rolling and are shining examples of how training in multi-professional working and simple core stroke skills makes a world of difference, in a low resource setting.”
Debs Broadbent is a clinical specialist speech and language therapist at UHD, and is currently in Ghana, working with local staff on clinical skills development, and the opening of two new stroke units in regional and underserved hospitals in Tamale and Ho.
She has been facilitating nominated stroke care leads to develop and deliver stroke care training in two underserved areas, supporting local conversations to open dedicated stroke units in Tamale and Ho.
Debs (pictured) added: “My time in Ghana has been an amazing experience. We have been made so welcome by everyone and there is great enthusiasm and commitment to improve stroke care.
“As well as supporting with the training, I too have learnt so much in such a short space of time about how healthcare works here. I feel people have really embraced our message that multidisciplinary team working is key to support and improve outcomes for people with stroke, and I am so privileged and grateful to have had this opportunity.”
The project is funded through the Global Health Workforce Programme, which is funded by the UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) for the benefit of the UK and partner country health sectors; and is managed by the Tropical Health Education Trust (THET).