Stroke Ambassadors - how we've made a difference

Healthwatch Bradford and District undertook research on improving stroke services across Bradford and Airedale. They established a Stroke Ambassador network in January 2019, bringing together stroke survivors, carers and community organisations to ensure patient experiences directly informed service improvement and decision-making.

The project found that stroke survivors wanted improvements to issues such as hospital parking, clearer communication from staff, greater involvement in staff training and more activities for patients. In response, stroke services explored parking solutions, developed guidance explaining common medical abbreviations, involved Stroke Ambassadors in training and quality improvement events, and introduced new patient activities including breakfast clubs and afternoon sessions. 

The network also provided opportunities for stroke survivors to ask questions about stroke care, rehabilitation, community support and discharge arrangements. Feedback helped inform service planning and highlighted gaps in provision, while clinical teams attended ambassador meetings to hear patient experiences directly and use them to shape improvements. 

The report concluded that the Stroke Ambassador programme was already influencing service design, quality improvement and decision-making across stroke services. Stroke Ambassadors contributed to co-design workshops, operational meetings and service development work, including creating a map of support available after discharge, and Healthwatch planned to continue and expand the ambassador model to other patient groups and communities.