Green light given for judicial review over stroke unit closures in Kent

Campaigners have been granted permission to bring a judicial review challenge over plans to reduce the number of hospitals able to offer emergency stroke treatment in Kent.

Save Our NHS in Kent (SONiK) said the case would be heard on the first available court dates from September. 

SONiK chair Jon Flaig said: “This is good news and is down to a great community effort. Ordinary people from across the county raised the £15,000 we needed to contribute to the claimant’s legal aid and start the judicial review process.” 

Describing the case as one of huge importance for Kent, Flaig added: “NHS bosses intend to close three out of the existing six hospital stroke units in Kent, which will greatly increase journey times for the most deprived populations. People in Thanet and the costal towns will be affected the worst.”

He said: “In Thanet ambulance journey time will go up by a staggering 300%, leaving residents a minimum of one hour away from urgent stroke care. Mortality and disability rates are bound to increase.”

Flaig also said the issue was a Kent-wide problem. “Medway, also a deprived area, will be badly affected, too, and the rest of Kent is likely to suffer due to the pressure on the whole system.”

SONiK will argue that Kent needs at least four hyper acute stroke units (HASUs), and one must be in Thanet, to ensure that health inequalities are not exacerbated and all patients reach the care they need within approximately 35 minutes. NHS bosses are planning for only three HASUs in Kent.

Flaig said said: “Among other things we will argue that Kent’s NHS bosses did not properly consider the option of having more than three HASUs and did not consult properly with the public about their proposals. This is a battle we intend to win for the people of this area.”