Healthcare professionals from across the south east gathered for a conference hosted by one of the country’s top performing stroke units, to share best practice in caring for people who have had a stroke.

The Stroke Unit at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) hosted the first Kent and Medway Stroke Conference yesterday, titled ‘Regional Innovations and Research in Stroke’.

Held in the Academic Centre at Maidstone Hospital, the Stroke team welcomed just under 100 healthcare staff working in stroke services across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, providing the opportunity for shared learning across the region. The conference was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Integrated Stroke Delivery Network (ISDN).

The event featured a number of guest speakers, including NHS England National Clinical Director, Dr David Hargroves, who spoke about the Thrombectomy Service at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust where he is Stroke Consultant Physician and Clinical Lead. Other topics covered throughout the day included the impact of same day emergency care (SDEC) in acute stroke services, instrumental equipment used by speech and language therapists and stroke rehabilitation in the community. MTW’s Stroke Research and Orthoptists teams were also on hand alongside the Stroke Association and Different Strokes charities to meet attendees and share more information about the work they do to support stroke patients and enhance care.

Speaking after the event, Stroke Clinical Lead and Specialist Physiotherapist at MTW, Catherine Mandri, said: “We were extremely privileged to host the Kent and Medway Stroke Conference, which was the first of its kind in the region. The event gave all healthcare professionals working in stroke across the south east the opportunity to meet, talk about their experiences and share best practice, enabling us to work collaboratively and ensure we are delivering the best possible care to stroke patients. It was inspiring and exciting to hear about the innovative work being developed in Kent and Medway.”

MTW’s Stroke Unit is one of the top performing stroke units in the UK, having consecutively scored an overall A-rating in the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) for over a year. The recent development of a new Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU) and Acute Stroke Unit (ASU) means that the Stroke team are now able to care for over 1,200 patients a year.

If you are a healthcare professional working in stroke and are passionate about advancing your career in stroke care, the Trust is currently recruiting for Band 6 stroke assessors and Band 7 stroke clinical nurse specialists. Join MTW’s online Stroke Information Session at 2pm on Thursday 8 August and 10am on Friday 9 August to find out more about our exciting career opportunities.