Coffee morning raises stroke awareness

02 June 2016

West Middlesex University Hospital held its annual stroke coffee morning on Friday 27 May in support of national stroke awareness month.

West Middlesex University Hospital held its annual stroke coffee morning on Friday 27 May in support of national stroke awareness month.

The event was hosted by stroke specialist nurse Ahlam Wynne to raise awareness of the stroke services available both at West Middlesex and in the local community. As well as sharing their experiences, the group were also able to discuss further developments which could be made to these services to help improve the patient experience. 

The Mayor of Hounslow, Councillor Ajmer Grewal, joined patients, relatives, staff, and community groups and was given a tour of the hospital’s stroke ward and outpatient facilities.

Cllr Grewal said: “I enjoyed the coffee morning, whilst getting an insight to the suffering of stroke victims and learning about the after care and the effects it has on the family. There were some great recovery stories which were an inspiration to others.   

“The dedication and hard work of the staff is exemplary, I found the atmosphere on the ward warm and friendly.”

Stroke specialist nurse Ahlam Wynne said: “Holding this coffee morning allows us to gather some really useful feedback from our patients, their carers and others about our stroke services. It is also an opportunity to share experiences and keep in touch with others who have been through similar situations which can be beneficial to recovery. I would like to thank everyone who participated and we will be looking at what improvements we can make based on the feedback we received.”

The Stroke Unit at West Middlesex University Hospital provides acute care for patients until they are suitable for discharge home or further rehabilitation care in an alternative setting, including specialist rehabilitation services in the community.

A multidisciplinary team works together to care for stroke patients at the hospital and with the local Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU) at Charing CrossHospital.

Contributors
relliott George Vasilopoulos