The Acute Stroke and Rehabilitation Unit (ASRU) is located on the ground floor of Blackpool Victoria Hospital beside X-ray Central. The Unit has 29 beds in total – 16 Acute and 13 Rehabilitation beds.
There is a rapid-access TIA (Transient Ischaemic Attack or mini-stroke) clinic held Monday to Friday afternoons, with established access to vascular surgery expertise based at Royal Preston Hospital. This clinic is supported by same-day carotid doppler, which is used to scan the arteries of the neck. Same-day CT brain scanning is also available.
Patients who have suffered a stroke are initially brought to the A&E department at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, usually by ambulance. Patients are assessed by a member of the Stroke team (such as a specialised stroke nurse) as soon as possible upon arrival, and are then moved to the Stroke Unit for treatment.
The Stroke team is made up of doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, assistant practitioners (APs), housekeepers, ward clerks, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, and speech and language therapists. They have the full support of the hospital discharge and early supported discharge teams, who co-ordinate patient discharge and provide support for patients once they leave the Stroke Unit. There are also close links between the Stroke team and the community therapy team.
Patients on the Stroke Unit are cared for by a team of three Consultant Stroke Physicians, an extensive nursing team including nine stroke nurse specialists, and therapists with specialist stroke knowledge in both acute and rehabilitation care. Patients will be seen by several members of the Stroke team to assess any disabilities following a stroke, and the team will work to help patients recover as much and as quickly as possible.
To ensure that we provide the most effective care for stroke patients, staff can take advantage of ongoing training and development opportunities.
As every stroke is unique, there are a wide range of potential issues that might be faced by each patient. Therefore, it is important for patients to discuss any problems or concerns with the Stroke team.
During rehabilitation, we provide a print out of the outcomes of the weekly multi-disciplinary meeting, which is placed in the patients’ bedside folder for them to read and provide comment. Ongoing care is individually planned for each patient, to maintain progress and to help patients adjust to life once they leave hospital.
More information on treatment and rehabilitation following stroke is available from the Stroke Association website here.
Visiting
If you are visiting a friend or relative on the Stroke Unit, parking is available in pay and display car parks across the Blackpool Victoria Hospital site. Disabled car parking bays are available for Blue Badge holders. Buses also run regularly to and from the hospital, with the majority of services arriving at and departing from the new main entrance building.
Click here for more details about getting to the hospital and parking.
Access to the Stroke Unit is via the main corridor on the ground floor of the main hospital building.
In line with present Trust guidelines, visiting times on the Stroke Unit are as follows:
3:00pm – 5:00pm (Every day)
6:00pm – 8.00pm (Every day)
To arrange a visit outside of this time, please speak to the nurse in charge.
Contact Us
By phone:
Stroke Unit: 01253 951028
Online: