Stroke Awareness Month - Dr Prabal Datta | Blog posts

Hello, my name is Dr Prabal Datta. I am a stroke physician with an added interest in epilepsy. I am also the clinical lead for the Integrated Stroke Delivery Network (ISDN) for West Yorkshire and Harrogate. 

As a stroke physician, practicing stroke medicine for the last 17 years has been a great privilege, as there has been quantum leap in stroke management.

At the forefront of that change is hyperacute care in stroke with advanced treatments such as thrombectomy (removal of a blood clot) and thrombolysis (medicines to break-up blood clots), which has made a significant difference to the lives of people with stroke. 

Stroke is a life changing event from one second to the next when it strikes, and the biggest cause of disability. Thrombectomy is a highly effective treatment, with greater benefits than Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a non-surgical procedure used to treat the blockages in a coronary artery in the treatment of heart attacks. Thrombolysis as a clot busting treatment again is another effective way of reducing disability in stroke. Recent changes to guidelines mean more people can now be offered this treatment. 

The stroke services in Mid Yorkshire Teaching Trust has been performing very well, and based on national audit standards we are above the national average in many of the Key performance indicators and certainly the best in the region. 

A lot of changes have been made to the stroke pathway in recent years including the establishment of a stroke assessment hub which has helped in improving patient care. 

Therefore for those wanting to get hands on in the exciting acute treatments that stroke care can offer and changing the life of patients, MY stroke services is the place to be.