FROM January 9, patients with a suspected stroke will no longer be taken to the Royal Surrey County Hospital (RSCH) in Guildford but will face a journey to Frimley or Chertsey – a longer trip by ambulance condemned as potentially “fatal” for East Hampshire residents.

Last Tuesday, Guildford and Waverley Clinical Commissioning Group and RSCH NHS Foundation Trust issued a joint statement concerning the changes, which are described as “interim” and therefore not subject to a formal public consultation.

It said: “From January 9, patients with a suspected stroke, who would currently be taken by ambulance to the Royal Surrey, will be taken to Frimley Park Hospital or St Peter’s Hospital for their immediate care.

“Patients may then be transferred to the Royal Surrey if clinically appropriate for on-going care or discharged home. Further care on discharge from any of the hospitals will continue as currently provided.

“This change in service affects residents from Guildford and Waverley, as well as some from neighbouring boroughs in Surrey and South East Hampshire.

“These changes are necessary as the Royal Surrey will be unable to support a seven-day hyper acute stroke pathway from January due to a number of changes within the multidisciplinary stroke team.

“The provision of seven-day acute stroke unit care is unaffected and will continue during the interim period. NHS Guildford and Waverley Clinical Commissioning Group has been working closely with providers and other Surrey CCGs to ensure safe hyper acute stroke care continues to be provided to patients who would normally attend the Royal Surrey.

“We are confident these arrangements will provide the necessary high-quality care and clinical expertise that patients with suspected stroke require.

“A Surrey-wide review of stroke care is on-going and is focused on developing the right model of care across Surrey to improve overall outcomes.

“The proposals for West Surrey were initially shared with the public at the clinical commissioning group’s annual general meeting in September 2016.

“Where changes are proposed for stroke care, these will be subject to a formal public consultation.”

Condemning the transfer of stroke services way from Guildford to Chertsey and Frimley, Haslemere Hospital League of Friends committee member Robert Knowles said: “It looks as if this is a fait accompli. They are trying to wriggle out of it by saying it’s an interim measure, but NHS staff are leaving and they may not be able to recruit more.

The Tory former Waverley Borough Council leader added: “This means a long journey for patients in Haslemere and the surrounding areas, and personal experience this year has shown long waits for the ambulance to get to Haslemere.

From experience it’s never under 30 minutes.

“This would then be followed by a long journey to remote hospitals.

“NHS protocol says people should be within 30 minutes of a hospital and this doesn’t comply. Even if this is interim rather than permanent, it leaves residents living in Haslemere and the surrounding area very vulnerable.

“It seems NHS services in Surrey are only provided in the north of the county, and it is fine if one lives in the M3 corridor, as there will be facilities in Chertsey, Frimley, Basingstoke and Winchester, so never more than 15 minutes away.

“But for the rural south of the county, the wait could be fatal.“

“I know you need centres of excellence, but with ambulance service times being so poor and South East Coast Ambulance service in special measures, such a long journey is frightening.

“It’s not as if January 9 is a long way off - it’s just a couple of weeks.”