A specialist NHS service that could save the lives of stroke patients across the North East will finally become available 24/7 by the end of 2026. This comes more than a year after a coroner raised concerns about the lack of such a service in the region, and months after a Government deadline had passed.
What is mechanical thrombectomy?
According to the Stroke Association, the procedure involves "a thin tube inserted into a blood vessel in your groin and moved up to your brain by a specialist X-ray doctor" before a "removal device" is used to pull out the blood clot causing the stroke. It is an emergency intervention.
Newcastle's assistant coroner Thomas Crookes highlighted the issue in relation to the death of Keith Reynolds in November 2024. By September last year, the North East was the only region in the country where the procedure was not available outside office hours.
Expansion from 9-5 to 24/7
ChronicleLive understands that since then, the existing 9-5 service at the Royal Victoria Infirmary has been expanded and is now operating between 8am and 8pm. It will be running 24 hours a day by the end of the year.
A leading Stroke Association figure described this as "such positive news" for the region, adding that the procedure could, "in an instant" reduce the risk of a patient being left with lifelong disabilities.
Mr Crookes issued a prevention of future deaths (PFD) notice to the hospital in September 2025. In response, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive highlighted that, had a trust proposal been accepted, such a service could have been running as long ago as December 2025.
Funding and timeline confirmed
It has now been confirmed that funding for the extra staff required is in place. A Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust spokesperson said: "We are committed to developing a 24/7 mechanical thrombectomy service for our patients who have experienced a severe stroke.
"From June of this year, we expanded the service so it now runs from 8am to 8pm and have had a business case approved by NHS England to recruit more specialist staff to provide a round-the-clock service in late Autumn."
The service will support those who suffer a particular kind of stroke identified within a given timeframe. It is hoped that hundreds will benefit.
A spokesperson for NHS North East and Yorkshire region said: "Extra targeted funding was confirmed to providers in April 2026 to accelerate implementation plans and support the training and recruitment of additional staff to carry out mechanical thrombectomy.
"NHS England will continue to work with Newcastle Hospitals to ensure that a robust, clinically led service model is in place to meet the needs of patients across the North East and Cumbria as soon as it is safe to do so."
Coroner's concerns and trust response
Following an inquest into the death of Mr Reynolds, who died after suffering a stroke during heart surgery, Mr Crookes said: "I am told that this issue is listed on the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s ‘risk register’ and that a business plan has been submitted to NHS England in relation to funding for additional clinicians.
"However, at the present time, should patients currently require a mechanical thrombectomy outside of the hours of 9am to 5pm, such a service would not be available to them and this could result in their death despite this potentially being preventable were such a service available."
In response, acting chief executive Rob Harrison wrote: "In February 2025 the Trust submitted a revised model and costing to NHSE. This reduced the required increase in costs to £3.1M and increased the proposed activity to 258 cases per annum for a 24/7 service. We received no response to this revised proposal."
He added that the plan was discussed at a meeting in May 2025 and said: "Had we received approval of our proposal at that time, we would have been preparing to commence our 24/7 MT service in December 2025."
Stroke Association welcomes news but notes missed deadline
The news has been welcomed by the Stroke Association, though key figures lamented that the Department of Health and Social Care's previous April 2026 deadline had been missed.
Sam Jones, associate director for Yorkshire and the North East at the charity, said: "We are of course frustrated that the deadline for offering a 24/7 thrombectomy service has been missed by the government so we welcome the additional investment to expand the service.
"We hope the expansion will offer patients the same access as other areas in the UK, removing the postcode lottery and enabling patients to receive a vital service around the clock, rather than having to be reliant on having a stroke at a certain time of day."
40 people wake up to the reality of life after having a stroke every day in the UK. It is the country’s fourth leading cause of death and the leading cause of complex adult disability. Yet, in an instant, thrombectomy can significantly reduce the chances of a stroke survivor being left with disabilities which can restrict their ability to walk, talk, or even swallow.
"That’s why we’ve been calling for 24/7 universal thrombectomy to be available throughout the country so where a stroke survivor lives or what time of day they have their stroke - no longer dictates their chances of making a good recovery. This is such positive news for those living in the North East."
