Video calls will help treatment for stroke patients

It is hoped the trial will mean fewer people will have to be rushed to hospital

People in Hull and parts of East Yorkshire thought to be having a stroke can now be assessed via video link.

Crews from Yorkshire Ambulance Service will be connected to stroke specialists at Hull Royal Infirmary on video calls rather than voice calls.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, part of NHS Humber Health Partnership, is introducing the scheme on a trial basis after securing funding from NHS England.

Stroke consultant Dr Bernard Esisi said the technology would help clinicians to "formulate a more accurate diagnosis" so people having strokes could be treated "in the right place at the right time".

'Every minute counts'

"Every minute counts when someone is having a stroke, so this new system means we can help people who need us more quickly while making sure those not having strokes get the right support without having to come into hospital," he said.

Patients who need urgent treatment will be taken straight to Hull Royal Infirmary while those who do not will be directed to community services instead.

The hospital treats about 1,000 stroke patients every year. The partnership said a further 300 or so people a year are taken to hospital with “stroke mimics” - conditions such as Bell’s Palsy, a migraine or low blood sugar which do not require hospital treatment and can be dealt with by GPs or community services.

If the Hull scheme is a success, the partnership said the project would be rolled out to North Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire.

The trial is part of the partnership's Flow initiative, which was introduced in July at hospitals around the region to help streamline hospital care.

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