5,000+ stroke patients receive faster treatment thanks to video-link diagnosis
Date: 12 May 2026As May marks Stroke Awareness Month, East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) is highlighting the success of video technology that has helped thousands of stroke patients receive faster diagnosis and treatment.
Around 280 people have a stroke every day in the UK* – one every five minutes. Rapid access to specialist care is critical, with every second affecting recovery and long-term outcomes.
EEAST works in partnership with hospitals across the region to use video assessment technology, enabling ambulance crews to connect suspected stroke patients with hospital stroke specialists via a handheld device. Since its introduction in 2022, more than 5,000 patients have been managed through the Stroke Video Triage pathway, now live at 12 of the 15 stroke centres across the East of England.
Brittany Farthing, Clinical Lead for Stroke Video Triage at EEAST, said: “Getting the right diagnosis quickly means patients can receive the right treatment sooner, significantly improving their chances of recovery. Video assessment allows stroke specialists to see patients remotely, before they even arrive at hospital.”
The joint assessment allows many patients to bypass emergency departments and go straight to specialist stroke care, reducing delays for patients and easing pressure on A&E departments. Specialists can also request scans and tests in advance, allowing imaging and treatment to begin immediately on arrival.
Across the region, arrival-to-imaging times for confirmed stroke patients have fallen from 50 minutes to 15 minutes, with Luton & Dunstable Hospital reducing this to just three minutes. Faster access to specialist care is linked to lower mortality, reduced disability and shorter hospital stays. Up to 30 per cent of Stroke Video Triage patients are admitted directly from scanning to a Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU), where they receive intensive care during the first 72 hours following a stroke.
West Suffolk Hospital is one of the hospitals taking part in the Stroke Video Triage pathway, providing 24-hour access to pre-hospital video triage for patients in partnership with EEAST.
Dr Abul Azim, Lead Consultant for Stroke Medicine at West Suffolk Hospital, said:
“It’s an extremely efficient pathway for rapid assessment and treatment of stroke patients in the hyper-acute stage.
“These patients assessed remotely by video have extremely rapid access to CT scanning or MRI and then to rapid hyper-acute treatment such as thrombolysis (clot busting therapy) and referral for mechanical thrombectomy (clot removal).
“This is now an integral part of our service and has significantly improved patients’ journeys, care and outcomes.”
Earlier this year, EEAST was named a regional champion in the NHS Excellence Awards for its Stroke Video Triage service.
- The Stroke Association January 2026
