Stroke Medicine (GP information)

Introduction

The L&D Stroke Service provides Hyperacute (clot buster), Acute and Rehabilitation services. It is an accredited specialist stroke unit for the region, serving a catchment population of 750,000 people.

The team provides specialist stroke services to patients across Luton, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes. The unit treats patients admitted as emergencies through the Emergency Department and accepts transfers from other hospitals.

The L&D is the regional designated hospital for Thrombolysis, where a drug is used to dissolve blood clots in the brain, reducing the damage to the surrounding brain. This is emergency treatment which has to be given within four and half hours of the stroke occurring, however it may not be appropriate in every case.

There is close integration with the neurosurgical team at Queen’s Square Hospital, London / Addenbrooke’s, Cambridge for those patients who require neurosurgical intervention. We also work closely with the Vascular Unit at Bedford Hospital.

www.stroke.org.uk – Stroke Association

www.brainandspine.org.uk – British Brain and Spine Foundation

www.differentstrokes.co.uk – for Young Strokes

Local Telephone Nos:
Careline – south beds – 01582603893

Family Support & Advice:
Luton – 01582891330
Central Beds – 01582690984

Equipment and advice – 01582470900

Social services:
Luton – 01582 547659
Dunstable – 01582 665861
Leighton Buzzard – 01525 381775

Referral Process

Preferred GP referral process, e.g.  (TIA Referral form) or by letter directly addressed to:

Out Patients Booking Dept Luton & Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Lewsey Road, Luton LU4 0DZ

Procedures Provided

  • TIA clinics – CT Brain or MRI Brain / Carotid Doppler and ECG if required in our One stop clinic. Drugs like Aspirin/ Clopidogrel/ Statin are dispensed if required from our clinic.
  • Stroke Clinics – CT brain may be done. Other imaging if required are arranged as OP basis.

Clinics

Clinic name: TIA clinics (codes T1,T3,T5,T7,T9,T11), Stroke follow up clinics (codes T2, T4,T6,T8,T10)
Clinic Type: Adult
Clinic days/times:
TIA clinics 7 days a week.
Referrals are from GPs, A/E, & ambulance crews using specified referrals form) 09.00 – 12.00.
Stroke Clinics (mostly follow ups) – Monday to Friday 13.30 – 16.30. Referrals may be by writing. Consultants will decide to slot them in new clinics or follow up clinics.

Links to tertiary centres:
Stroke service has established links to tertiary centres – Addenbrooke’s (Cambridge), Queen Square (London), Charing Cross (London) and John Radcliffe (Oxford).

Patient Information Leaflets

Clinicians - Consultants/Specialist Nurses

Bedford Hospital

Stroke Medicine

DrRaafatFarag Consultant
Luton & Dunstable University Hospital

Stroke Medicine

DrLankaAlwis Consultant
Dr Lakshmanan Sekaran Consultant Physician
Dr Duke Phiri
Dr Sakthivel Sethuraman Consultant Physician
DrAsaipillai Asokanathan Consultant Physician

Useful Contacts

Bedford Hospital
General Manager Gemma St Ville
Gemma.Stville@ldh.nhs.uk
Luton & Dunstable University Hospital
General Manager Gemma St Ville
Gemma.Stville@ldh.nhs.uk
Clinical Director: Dr Lakshmanan Sekaran
Lakshmanan.Sekaran@ldh.nhs.uk
Stroke Ward Manager: Etka Solanki
01582 497136
Stroke Specialist Nurse: Jimy David
Ext. 2849 (via switchboard), Bleep 126
Outpatients booking department: 01582 561385
PALS (for patient specific enquiries) 01582 491 166
PALS@ldh.nhs.uk
Stroke Nurse: Bleep 066
Stroke Registrar: Bleep 209
Stroke Research nurses: Frances Justin and Margaret Tate
01582 718485 Bleep 369
Switchboard 01582 491166
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