A musician who suffered a stroke on stage has described access to the life changing treatment she received as a “postcode lottery”.
Nikki Summerill from Country Durham fell ill in 2022 while performing in Northumberland, where speedy access to a mechanical thrombectomy helped her to regain her speech within 20 minutes.
The NHS was expected to make the procedure available 24 hours a day across England from the start of April, but seven regional stroke centres, including James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, have missed the deadline.
Due to staff shortages, James Cook only offers the the blood clot removal treatment between 08:00 and 20:00, but Summerill fell ill outside those hours and said her treatment would have been delayed if it had happened in Middlesbrough.
A spokesperson for University Hospitals Tees said it is committed to developing a 24/7 service and has recently extended cover at James Cook.
