Stroke service

Our stroke specialist teams include stroke physicians, specialist nurses, healthcare assistants and specialist support staff, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists and stroke coordinators.

We are also supported by dietitians, ophthalmologists and other healthcare professionals. We work closely with adult social care, the Stroke Association and other agencies to ensure you get the best care in the most suitable location, given the impact of your stroke.

We provide medical care and rehabilitation for adults with a Somerset GP from the hyper-acute stroke unit at Musgrove Park Hospital and Yeovil Hospital through to rehabilitation, either in a community hospital or in your own home. We have longer term services to support you to live well after your stroke.

Our acute stroke service provides diagnosis and medical intervention to manage and minimise the impact of the stroke. Once therapy assessments have been completed, our team will work with you and your family to identify the most suitable way of discharging you from hospital. These could include inpatient rehabilitation within a community stroke rehabilitation unit, home with therapy support from our early supported discharge team, community stroke service or a follow-up with a member of the living well after stroke team. We know that people with stroke make a better recovery while getting specialist rehabilitation at home, so our teams work hard to promote early discharge from our inpatient units whenever possible.

Throughout the pathway, you will be involved in setting meaningful goals to help your rehabilitation. We will regularly review these goals and associated intervention plans. We will encourage you to undertake rehabilitation, both within supervised sessions and on your own to optimise your recovery. Rehabilitation progress is monitored through the achievement of your own goals, which will always reflect your functional everyday activities. As you work towards discharge from our stroke services, you will be supported to develop skills in managing your condition to achieve as much independence as possible.

Following discharge from hospital you will get a medical review, and at approximately six months you will receive a review that will ensure that all aspects of your stroke recovery have been addressed to help you to live well after your stroke. This will include accessing support from the local community and lifestyle advice to keep active and make healthy choices wherever possible.

You and your family will be supported to choose which service is most appropriate given the severity of stroke and the options available. The teams will work together to ensure you have a smooth transition from one stage to another.

Use the Face-Arm-Speech Test (FAST). Three simple checks can help you recognise whether someone has had a stroke or mini-stroke (transient ischaemic attack – TIA).

F Facial weakness: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or an eye drooped?
A Arm weakness: Can the person raise both arms?
S Speech problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
T Test these symptoms.

If you see any of these signs, call 999 immediately.

All admissions to acute hospitals are via Somerset NHS Foundation Trust ED departments.

For referral to community services please email somersetesd@somersetft.nhs.uk to request a referral form.