Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has sent more patients for mechanical thrombectomy (MT) than any other district hospital in the country.

MT is a procedure used to treat acute ischemic strokes, a life-threatening condition caused by a blocked blood flow to the brain.

The treatment involves removing the clot blocking the blood flow, significantly improving stroke outcomes and potentially reducing disability.

The stroke team at Wycombe Hospital sent 8.4 per cent of stroke patients for thrombectomy during 2023-24, compared to the national average of just 2.7 per cent.

The trust was also fourth in the country for DIDO (door in door out) times, which is the average time it takes for patients to be seen, scanned, and transferred out for the thrombectomy.

The DIDO time for Wycombe Hospital was 87 minutes, compared to the national median of 133 minutes.

Andrew McLaren, chief medical officer at the trust, said: "Mechanical thrombectomy is one of the most effective clinical interventions that we have in medicine, and we are very proud that our stroke team has been able to offer it to so many eligible patients here in Buckinghamshire.

"It makes all the difference to patients who have suffered a stroke as they are able to recover more quickly and get back to their lives."

In the best possible outcome, a patient could even walk out of hospital the following day.