About Stroke HIT

Stroke services have developed differently across the three local authorities within the BHP region.They have recently merged to become Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) and working with the Stroke Care Pathway Reconfiguration they both aim to improve immediate (hyperacute) stroke care for everyone, to reduce the number of people who die or are severely disabled after a stroke; and provide equity in aftercare across BNSSG.

The Stroke HIT is playing a key role in supporting the BNSSG Stroke Programme Board:

Directors providing clinical leadership.
Peer directors and HIT service user group embedding people with lived experience in the process.
Education and training workstream developing and implementing framework to support the developing integrated stroke specialist workforce.
Research and service innovation workstream encouraging the implementation of new and innovate technologies and processes.

Did you know…?

Over 1,300 people have a stroke in BNSSG every year.
Half of these will have a lasting disability.
1 in 10 will need residential care who didn’t before their stroke.
Southmead Hospital is one of the biggest providers of thrombectomy (blood clot removal for stroke) in the country. The new care pathway will include a 24/7 thrombectomy service.
Aiming to ensure equity of access to high quality care and support across BNSSG, with better continuity, especially when people move from hospital to community-based care.
People in the least deprived areas of Bristol live in good health for more than 16 years longer than those in the most deprived areas. 70% of people who have strokes are from areas of socio-economic deprivation, except in the very oldest age group.

Aims and objectives

The Stroke Health Integration Team (HIT) will focus on six key areas, to improve stroke prevention and care in our region.

Emphasising stroke prevention
Improving immediate (“hyperacute”) stroke treatment
Improving recovery, care and support after stroke
Supporting improvements through research
Supporting improvements through training and education
Ensuring the voices of people affected by stroke are embedded in decision-making

If you think you want to be involved, even in a small way, please get in touch by emailing us at: [email protected].