Councillor vows to fight stroke unit decision (From Thurrock Gazette)
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Councillor vows to fight stroke unit decision
7:20am Friday 1st March 2013 in News
THURROCK councillor Barbara Rice has raised concerns about the decision to downgrade Basildon hospital’s stroke unit.
Under the Government’s new health arrangements, the Essex Clinical Commissioning Board has the responsibility to arrange and pay for stroke services across the county – including Thurrock.
Mrs Rice, Thurrock’s portfolio holder for health and adult social care, said she is very concerned about its decision to downgrade the Hyper Acute Stroke Unit at Basildon.
The former nurse said: “At the moment all hospitals in Essex have HASUs, including an excellent unit at Basildon.
“HASUs are where ambulances take patients when they have stroke symptoms.
“The stroke review suggests Broomfield and Southend keep them while Basildon is downgraded to an ASU.
“This will be subject to a consultation and I would ask that Thurrock residents make their views known.”
