Sept 2018 pictures text and stuff from bookshop computer     |     Michaels Bookshop website   Thanetonline blog   Bookshop blog Sept 2018 pictures text and stuff from bookshop computer   |   Roger gale on moving stroke unit Roger gale on moving stroke unit -----Original Message----- From: Gale's Views <galesviews@836203.vps-10.com> Sent: Tue, 18 Sep 2018 7:07 Subject: PRESS RELEASE - STROKE SERVICES PRESS RELEASE 18 September, 2018 Sir Roger Gale MP (N. Thanet) - Stroke Services - East Kent I believe that the distribution of all health services should be made on the basis of sound medical judgement and not upon emotion or party-political interest. I have discussed the location of services with those who are expert in the subject on a number of occasions - most recently a week ago - and I am satisfied that, given the planned safeguards, the decision taken and based upon three Centres of Excellence is the best practicable solution to provide the best patient survival and recovery rates - and that is what matters. Ordinarily a population of the size of Kent would be served by one or possibly two “hyper” centres but the geography of the County mitigates in favour of three in the selected locations. I know that people would like to have services on the doorstep but it is neither practicable nor possible to fund and staff everything everywhere. Notwithstanding the widely misinterpreted ‘FAST’ mantra what matters is that following diagnosis a patient is taken to the best possibly facility swiftly. Following stabilisation and expert treatment it is then necessary - and this is the safeguard- to re-patriate the patient to a facility (the QEQM or The Queen Vic in Herne Bay in the case of North Thanet) where family and friends can support recovery. I understand that this will not be a popular decision but good medical practice is not about populist campaigning but about making the right and sometimes hard choices in the interests of saving lives. In the case of stroke services, I am convinced that not only will more lives be saved but more and fuller recoveries will be made as a result of a decision that is not about ‘saving money’ - massive investment will be made in staff and equipment - but about delivering the best treatment in the best way for the maximum number of people. Time and experience will, I believe, justify this decision. CONTACT:    galerj@parliament.uk   -- DISCLAIMER:   By providing your email address you will receive periodic updates and articles from Sir Roger.  Your email address will NOT be given to anyone else and you can unsubscribe at any time by emailing suzy@galemail.com giving your full name and current postal address.