Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst has added her backing to a bid for Medway Maritime Hospital to be one of three urgent stroke services in Kent in an NHS consultation.

The resources for stroke care are currently spread thinly across Kent, meaning that most hospitals are unable to meeting the best practice standards and therefore impacting the level of care that can be provided for patients.

Kelly Tolhurst MP has argued that Medway Maritime Hospital, as Kent’s largest and busiest hospital, is ideally suited to win the selection for investment and to obtain a hyper acute stroke unit.

The hospital already has a wide range of supporting services for patients needing stroke treatment and currently cares for the highest number of stroke patients in Kent and Medway.

Additionally, co-located services such as vascular surgery and interventional radiology are already provided at Medway making it ideal in terms of maintaining skills and developing the expertise to become a hyper acute stroke unit.

After submitting a response to the consultation Kelly said,

“Medway Maritime Hospital remains unique in Kent - and indeed the country - in having a dedicated service that specialises in stroke care, so any improvements will only benefit patients not just locally but far and wide.

“Residents of Medway and Kent deserve the best possible care on their doorstep and our local hospital has much to offer and is fully capable of running this service building on the great work it already provides.

“We are fortunate that Medway Maritime is a leader in healthcare. It is one of the best hospitals in the country for maternity care and boasting 170 exciting research projects across many areas, making it the ideal candidate for further services to best serve the health needs of the South East.”

Kelly Tolhurst’s is backing Option D in the consultation, which includes three hyper acute stroke units at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Medway Maritime Hospital, William Harvey Hospital respectively.