Hospital's stroke unit to be removed in spring

The removal of a hyper-acute stroke unit at a hospital will begin in the spring, health bosses have announced.

It means that, instead of being treated at Yeovil District Hospital, stroke patients needing urgent care will be transported to either Dorchester or Taunton.

The removal has attracted considerable criticism from locals, while both Yeovil MP Adam Dance and Yeovil Town Council have urged the Department for Health and Social Care to review the decision.

NHS Somerset's integrated care board voted for the move in 2024. It has now confirmed that, barring any last-minute intervention from Whitehall, the changes will "go live" in the spring of 2026.

Stroke services are categorised by the NHS as either hyper-acute, where emergency treatment is required within the first 72 hours, or acute, where the stroke is less life-threatening.

Under the agreed reforms, Yeovil District Hospital will retain its acute stroke provision but all hyper-acute stroke patients will be transported to either Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton or Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester, whichever is closer, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

David McClay, from NHS Somerset's integrated care board, said it expected to see an increase of 402 attendances per year at Dorset County hospital.

To accommodate the extra patients, an expansion to the hospital's facilities began in August and is expected to conclude by March, at a cost of around £1.8m.

The changes are expected to cost around £4m out of Somerset's health revenue budget.

This includes £1.9m for additional staffing at Musgrove Park Hospital and £1.8m for similar costs at Dorset County Hospital.

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