THE award-winning stroke team from Southend University Hospital hosted an Essex stroke academic day with great success, attracting key clinicians from across the country to debate findings and advances in the area of stroke, of which Southend is renowned.

Topics of debate and discussion included everything from web-based therapies and robotics and their help in 21st century stroke rehabilitation and beyond. There were also updates on the hyperacute stroke treatments thrombolysis and thrombectomy.

Guest speakers included Southend Hospital’s own Professor Iris Grunwald, Dr Sajid Alam, Dr Lucy Coward and Dr Sajjad Mazhar as well as some from other hospitals and institutions, such as Dr David Hargroves from East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust and Professor William Harwin, director of research for the School of Systems Engineering at the University of Reading.

Southend lead stroke consultant, Dr Paul Guyler, commented: “This was an excellent day with a varied programme which was well attended by stroke team members in Essex and beyond. The feedback on the speakers and topics was very positive, with a consensus that we need to expand emergency clot-retrieval treatments to all patients requiring this in Essex, rather than this procedure just being available in Southend.

“It is crucial that we continue to hold annual days to learn from each other and together improve our stroke services across Essex.”