Stroke patients diverted after Shropshire Covid cases

The acute stroke ward is based at the Princess Royal Hospital, which is run by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

Cases of coronavirus at a stroke ward means patients are being diverted to other hospitals.

Positive cases in patients at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, Shropshire, has led to treatment being moved to Wolverhampton or Stoke-on-Trent.

Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospital Trust (SaTH) said infection control measures had been put in place.

The ambulance service said it had been approached to change its protocols.

Hyper-acute stroke units such as ward 15 in Telford take emergency cases.

People are usually scanned to see if they will benefit from clot-busting drugs before being moved to a ward for intensive treatment and rehabilitation.

"Where necessary, staff and patients have been tested as a precaution and contact tracing is being completed," said Hayley Flavell, SaTH's director of nursing.

"Appropriate infection prevention and control measures are in place and we are working with our local authority public health colleagues, Public Health England and our partners across the health system.

"We are also working closely with our neighbouring trusts at Stoke and Wolverhampton, and with the ambulance service for the transfer of appropriate patients. This will be reviewed every day."

• Latest news and updates from the West Midlands

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "On Friday, we were approached by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust to facilitate a change in pathway for stroke patients due to Covid-19 restrictions at the Princess Royal Hospital.

"The number of patients affected is very small and it is believed that this short-term change will provide the best outcome for patients."