AS Patricia Barnes left her home for a day’s shopping at Lakeside she could not have imagined how a straightforward day would unfold.

As she set off she suffered a stroke.

She was lucky not to have been seriously hurt, or killed, in her car as she lost control and crashed. 

Every minute is vital after a stroke happens.

I’m acutely aware of this at the moment as my nan suffered one just a few weeks ago and at the age of 89 is battling hard to get to the landmark birthday celebrations planned for her next February. 

She was helped quickly, as was Patricia, who soon found herself at Basildon Hospital’s hyper-acute stroke unit.

There, doctors kicked in and Patricia was soon sitting up in her bed and singing the department’s praises.

Basildon Hospital endures plenty of scrutiny, and so it should, and is often criticised.

But amid all the scrutiny it is sometimes worth taking a step back and appreciating the often taken-for-granted professionalism at this wonderful NHS stroke care facility, right on our doorsteps, which saves lives day in and day out. 

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