Emergency Stroke Services

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:46 pm on 29 September 2021.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 2:46, 29 September 2021

Thank you, Minister. One of my constituents was correctly diagnosed as having a stroke by a 999 call handler and obviously confirmed that he needed to be seen as an emergency in the Heath hospital. Because it was unclear how long it would take for an ambulance to arrive, the family informed 999 they would take him to hospital themselves, but, on arrival, they got stuck in the emergency department for 27 hours before he was admitted to the acute stroke ward. Now, I fully appreciate the unprecedented pressures that the emergency services are dealing with, and screening people for COVID who arrive unannounced is an important part of ensuring we keep COVID out of hospitals. But, as Cardiff and Vale pioneered a new phone triage system to stop people backing up in the emergency department during the pandemic, how can we improve the interface between 999 and Cardiff and Vale's 24/7 so that, once diagnosed, they're actually being directed to the specialist clinicians they need to see?