Healthwatch East Sussex’s report on its support work of Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust review of stroke services

In seeking to improve stroke services, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust commissioned Healthwatch East Sussex to undertake a community engagement activity in the north of East Sussex. The purpose of this activity was to raise awareness of the need to review services and seek public feedback to their draft Service Standards. 

Healthwatch East Sussex directly raised awareness of the Trust’s wish to improve stroke services with local organisations, statutory organisations, community groups, and spoke to 15 people at an event in Crowborough on 2 March 2015. 

The key findings are: 

• A positive response to the content of the presentation.
• Clear support for the draft service standards of care presented by the Trust, but a concern that these did not reflect the needs of carers. 
• The most voiced public concerns were about the additional length of time East Sussex patients using stroke services stay in hospital, compared to patients living in West Kent, and the lack of an early discharge system in East Sussex. 
• People were keen to stay involved in the discussions but wanted to see more members of the public involved.