Stepping Hill Hospital is introducing a new scheme to help patients who have experienced a minor stroke.

As part of the scheme, the patients will be given an electronic patch which will help monitor whether they at risk of stroke or heart failure.

The new 'electro-cardiograph' patches will monitor potential signs of atrial fibrillation - this is a fast or irregular heartbeat, which patients who have experienced strokes are more susceptible to once they have left hospital care.

Atrial fibrillation can put patients at a higher risk of further stroke and also heart failure. The patches will therefore be vital in ensuring more timely and effective treatment.

There will be 150 patches available at the hospital for patients who have been assessed by stroke clinicians as having the appropriate risk.

The e-patches are small, and attached to the patient's chest, which links to a monitor. The use of the patches is a pilot scheme which, if successful, may be extended in the future.

A close-up of the electro cardiograph patches (Image - Stockport NHSFT)

These patients would previously have had to rely on ECG monitoring which has a wating list of several weeks. The clinical decision to place the patch is made at the outpatients stage, without the need for a further hospital cardiology appointment, which also saves the patient time.

The pilot scheme has been supported by the Greater Manchester Neurorehabilitation & Integrated Stroke Delivery Network (GMNISDN), following a successful bid with the global pharmaceutical company Daiichi-Sankyo for a pilot on the Technomed E-patches in primary stroke centres including Stepping Hill Hospital.

Dr Shivakumar Krishnamoorthy, lead clinician on the project, said "The risk of atrial fibrillation is a key issue for patients who have experienced a minor stroke or transient ischaemic attack.

"Ensuring swift diagnosis of this is a key part of ensuring they get the treatment they need.

"We hope the new e-patch will be an effective way of ensuring this, and getting better outcomes for our patients, and we're very pleased that Stepping Hill Hospital's stoke team have been able to introduce this scheme."

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