NHS Somerset, the alternative name for the ICB, today agreed to keep Yeovil Hospital in the mix for stroke services. As part of plans to reorganise stroke services in Somerset, NHS Somerset put forward proposals in January this year. These offered two choices. Option A would see Acute services delivered at Yeovil and Musgrove (Taunton) Hospitals, while Hyper Acute services would be at Musgrove only. Under Option B, Acute and Hyper Acute services to be delivered from Musgrove hospital only.

Under both proposals the current Hyper Acute stroke service would close at Yeovil Hospital. A public consultation was launched on the proposals and this closed on 24 April. NHS Somerset today noted the feedback and the strength of feeling against closure of the Yeovil service.

That strength of feeling was demonstrated with some 20 members of the public in attendance. For meetings which are usually rather dry, if important, this is not usual. There were also a number of questions from the public, all expressing support for the stroke service in Yeovil.

A proposal put forward to abandon Option B and to focus on how to deliver Option A was debated at today’s (30 November) board meeting. The proposal was unanimously carried.

Some feedback from the consultation was made available for today’s meeting. However it lack numerical granularity and dealt mostly with impressions of the public view. A detailed report summarising the results of the consultation will be released before a final decision is made. This is expected to be at the board meeting of NHS Somerset in January.