Stroke

The North Mersey Stroke Service is a comprehensive stroke centre at Aintree University Hospital, dedicated to caring for people in the critical 72-hour period after a stroke occurs.

The new centre brought together in 2023, the hyper-acute stroke care previously based at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Aintree University Hospital and Southport Hospital.

Providing this service from a single unit has improved access to the specialist staff, tests, equipment, and procedures that are crucial for diagnosing and treating people as quickly and effectively as possible following a stroke. 

Suspected stroke patients avoid attending our emergency departments and will be seen straight away by stroke specialists.

Locating the hyper-acute aspect of the stroke service at Aintree University Hospital, means it is on the same site as The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, the specialist neurosciences hospital, which provides a stroke treatment called thrombectomy, available 24-hours a day, seven days a week and ensures our patients have access to cutting edge stroke treatments when they need it.

After the first 72-hours, up to half of patients will be able to leave hospital to continue their recovery at home, with help from an early supported discharge team. Those patients who aren’t ready to go home, will be given further care at either Aintree, Broadgreen or Southport hospitals, depending on which is closest to where they live.

We are delighted with the success of this service which has gone on to regularly feature amongst the top three units in the country in national audits and won an NHS parliamentary award for the innovative care it offers to patients.