Breakthroughs in helping stroke victims to recover

This article first appeared in The Yorkshire Post on World Stroke Day, 29 October 2024.

Had it not been for Bradford Royal Infirmary and Airedale Hospital you would not be reading this article today, World Stroke Day.

Five years ago I suffered a debilitating bleed on the brain that had left me unable to stand, walk or use my hands and profoundly depressed. Thanks to the NHS I now live a normal life save for minor mobility and cognitive issues.

According to medical journal Age?and Ageing there are 100,000 new stroke cases a year in the UK and over a million people live with its consequences. It is the world’s second cause of death after dementia and also the world’s third? main cause of death and? disability combined costing over ￡550 billion a year says the World Stroke Association.

The NHS estimate strokes cost the health service ￡3 billion a year, with additional costs to the economy of a further ￡4 billion in lost productivity, disability and care.

For those of working age like Nathan Stone, 45, an IT technical officer from Cleckheaton, Kirklees, it can have devastating consequences in terms of trying to lead a normal working life and the strain it puts on partners, families and friends.

Nathan suffered from a stroke in 2015 which left him with paralysis on his left side. He had to be hoisted out of his hospital bed to get into a wheelchair. Although he learnt how to walk again, his stroke impacted his ability to drive and therefore his independence.

During the course of his recovery he had many highs and lows suffering significant reduced cognition and ?relationship breakdowns. Now happily married he has two daughters, although he admits that nappy changing one handed “took a while to master.”

Nathan points to the work being conducted by the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Sheffield University in resolving a problem that a third of all stroke survivors have in that they are left with permanent weakness in an arm. This pioneering work helps stroke survivors lead more fulfilled lives.

The programme called TRICEPS involves a treatment called Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (TVNS) which could help improve arm mobility.?

In a ground-breaking clinical trial the vagus nerve (VN) is electrically stimulated while the patient moves their weak arm. The VN oversees a vast array of crucial bodily functions, including control of mood, immune response, digestion, and heart rate. Stimulation of the VN has been found to help arm recovery compared with rehabilitation therapy alone.

The trial is assessing if a wearable earpiece that can stimulate the VN has the same positive impact without the need for a surgical implant under general anaesthetic. The TRICEPS is actively recruiting and can be contacted via [email protected]

Bradford-based Geoff Render, 46, works as the regional coordinator, West Yorkshire for Different Strokes, a charity that helps stroke survivors of working age to ‘reclaim their lives’ He had his stroke in 2015 and suffered with weakness on his left side, cognitive, fatigue, brain fog, neuropathic pain and sensory issues. However, Geoff remains active and has qualified as a swim teacher.

Along with Nathan, Geoff is part of group of individuals with lived experience of stroke, their families, carers, healthcare professionals, and representatives from the voluntary, charity, and social enterprise (VCSE) sectors. They are working with the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Integrated Stroke Delivery Network (ISDN) to find solutions in stroke care including launching a website in 2025.

The ISDN is part of West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT) which represents six NHS trusts in West Yorkshire.

Matt Spencer, manager, West Yorkshire and Harrogate ISDN says: “The website will act as a one-stop shop for anyone living in the West Yorkshire and Harrogate region seeking support or information about strokes including support groups with links to helplines and relevant websites.”

“It will be easily accessible for all patients, including those with cognitive difficulties and incorporates videos and animations produced with the support of media students at Leeds Beckett University and from various stroke charities including the Stroke Association, Different Strokes, and Aphasia Support,” concludes Matt. Aphasia is a speaking disorder that individuals can suffer from following a stroke.

An innovative vocational rehabilitation pathway has also been formed to support people living in Bradford District and Craven get into work after a stroke. It is a collaboration between the NHS and Bradford Council through SkillsHouse, a service for education and training.

Jeremy Gee, service lead, based at Airedale Hospital, says the scheme: “Aims to provide patients following a stroke with support to remain in work, return to work if off sick, end work well or if previously unemployed to move towards work, including volunteering opportunities.”

“We are using the learning from the innovative Long Covid Pathway alongside stroke expertise to trial this collaboration rehabilitation model for stroke survivors.

“Symptoms, in particular, fatigue, greatly impact people’s ability to work and are common to both stroke and Long-Covid sufferers,” says Jeremy.

Sources

·?????? West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT): https://wyaat.wyhpartnership.co.uk/

·?????? TRICEPS trial www.triceps-trial.com

·?????? Stroke Association https://www.stroke.org.uk/

·?????? Different Strokes https://differentstrokes.co.uk/

Robert Minton-Taylor, 76, works in a voluntary capacity as a public governor for Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, a visiting fellow of Leeds Beckett University and a 'lived stroke advisor' for the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts.