2019-20 highlights from the Stroke HIT

Dr Phil Clatworthy, Sara Blackmore, Dr Phil Simons, Chris Priestman and Stephen Hill reflect on the 2019-20 achievements of the Stroke Health Integration Team (Stroke HIT).

In the last year, the stroke care pathway, which we have been heavily involved in, has made great progress as our Co-Leads for patient and public involvement, Chris and Stephen, have been providing valuable input in various pathway workstreams such as communications and value-based commissioning. Their involvement will help ensure that resources are used efficiently in providing services that deliver outcomes that are meaningful to the public and service users.

Our collaboration with stroke charities continued with our work with Rosetta Life to develop films about stroke recovery that will be used to illustrate issues around stroke rehabilitation and visual impairment. As part of our work promoting life after stroke, we supported Rosetta Life in delivering Stroke Odysseys, a performing arts intervention for people after stroke, in Bristol. We also welcomed Bristol After Stroke as our first non-Bristol Health Partners and Rebecca Sheehy, Chief Executive of Bristol After Stroke, now sits on the Stroke HIT Executive Board.

Work has begun on developing an education framework to strengthen the workforce in health and adult social care organisations and their roles in the planned Integrated Community Stroke Service, which will see public health and social care services working alongside healthcare providers to develop and deliver the service.

We said thank you and goodbye to Emily Dodd and Molly Dexter. We are grateful for all the support they provided the HIT during their time with us.