Stroke Recovery Service in Portsmouth given six months to secure future as funding dries up

The Stroke Association, which runs the service on behalf of Health and Care Portsmouth – a partnership of organisations including the NHS and city council, said plans to end funding in June risked the long-term recovery of stroke survivors.

But the authority has now confirmed it will extend the £64,000-a-year contract for a further six months, a move, it said, would allow replacements to be considered.

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Operation of the the service has been contracted to the charity for the last 14 years and has supported more than 2,000 people in the city over that time, preventing readmissions to hospital and providing mental health support.

Earlier this year it was given notice by the council that funding would end in June as part of cost-cutting measures.

The charity’s associate director Jacqui Cuthbert said this would have been a ‘huge loss’ for stroke survivors while also increasing the financial burden on other parts of the health service.

‘The impact of the loss of this service would be devastating to the Portsmouth community and those who are, or will be, affected by stroke,’ she said. ‘Our dedicated coordinators offer specialised person-centred support and information at time when people need it most.

She added: ‘It’s been heartbreaking for our coordinators to have to tell people that their support would be ending.’

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The charity said there were almost 20,000 people in Portsmouth with either atrial fibrillation or diabetes who have an increased risk of suffering a stroke and that the ‘small investment’ in the recovery service was bringing ‘incredible benefits’ to the city.

However, a council spokesman confirmed on Friday that the service would be extended into next year although he said Health and Care Portsmouth still intended to end the contract.

‘We understand that changes to any arrangements create concern for residents,’ they said.

‘Health and Care Portsmouth plans to end its contract with the Stroke Association but is extending the current arrangement until the end of January. This gives us an opportunity to ensure that people currently using the Stroke Association service have alternatives and that we can share information about the services in place.

‘The NHS has a range of services for residents who have had a stroke, and these will continue.’

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The extension has been welcomed by the charity but it called for a long-term future for the service.

‘While we welcome the decision to extend funding for the Stroke Recovery Service, we don’t believe that the alternatives currently available would fully meet the complex needs of stroke survivors in the city,’ Ms Cuthbert said.

‘This extension will hopefully give an opportunity for all the partners providing health and care services for the local community to agree a solution which

conforms to the National Stroke Service Model. This outlines best practice for “joined up” treatment and care, from the time someone has a stroke and then throughout their recovery.’

Earlier this year, Isle of Wight Council also cut its funding for its stroke service, saying budget pressures had forced its hand.