STROKE patient Janet Benzie has become the first in Yorkshire to be treated for the condition under a new approach which doctors hope will prevent 600 premature deaths a year.
The 62-year-old from Long Preston, near Settle, suffered the life-threatening stroke last Thursday but is already on the road to recovery after emergency treatment by paramedics and specialist staff at Airedale General Hospital in Keighley.
She wa
s taken to hospital after suffering problems with her vision, a pain in her neck and weakness in her arm.
Paramedics called ahead to let hospital staff know a potential stroke patient was on the way. She was immediately assessed in A&E by a waiting specialist team led by consultant Andrew Catto, taken for a CT scan on her brain and assessed as suitable for clot-busting drugs – all within a three-hour golden window before serious brain damage occurs which causes serious disability.
The approach is being extended across Yorkshire as part of a major drive to tackle strokes in line with the recommendations of a landmark report published this week into NHS care in the region which has made improving stroke care a key priority.
Mrs Benzie said: "It has been amazing – the staff were super efficient from the minute I got to the A&E department. This treatment has given me a quality of life I might never have had.
"The staff have been absolutely wonderful and have made sure my husband and I know exactly what is happening and what to expect. Everything was done so quickly and I am very grateful because I am feeling so much better."
Dr Catto said: "Time is the real issue in this situation. It is vital for the public and their carers and families to recognise the symptoms of a potential stroke regard it as a medical emergency and get to hospital as soon as possible."
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