BARNSLEY Hospital’s specialist unit that deals with people in the crucial first few hours after they have had a stroke is set to close and patients will be sent out of town.
Hyper acute stroke units - which provide the first 72 hours of critical care - are being reviewed across South Yorkshire by Commissioners Working Together, a group of eight NHS clinical commissioning groups and NHS England.
Under new proposals, the Barnsley and Rotherham units will be closed and anyone who suffers a stroke will be taken to either Doncaster, Sheffield or Chesterfield for the first 72 hours of care, or until medically stable. After that time, if well enough, they be brought back to Barnsley for the remainder of their care.
The review has been prompted by concerns from health bosses that people receive receive different standards of care depending on where they live.
Read more in this weeks Barnsley Chronicle
