WINNER

University Hospitals of North Midlands

A Stroke of Innovation: Delivering 24/7 Access Through Team-Based Pathway Transformation

The University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust has transformed acute stroke care by spearheading a collaborative overhaul of the thrombectomy pathway. When faced with substantial delays in accessing life-saving treatment, the trust brought together stroke physicians, emergency department teams, radiologists, district hospitals, and patients to co-design a more streamlined and equitable system.

This multidisciplinary hub-and-spoke model has delivered faster diagnosis, enhanced referrals, and increased thrombectomy rates fourfold across the region. While AI technology played a supporting role, it was not the primary driver of this transformation.

The initiative demonstrates how empowered clinical teams, aligned objectives, and integrated care pathways can achieve nationally leading outcomes while delivering sustainable, patient-centred stroke services.

Read a detailed case study about this project at HSJ Solutions.

Highly commended

Royal Surrey FT: Self-removal of Catheters Project

Finalists

Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust: Quail (Quality AI & Learning)

Dartford and Gravesham Trust: The SDEC Village: Four Team Integration to Transform Flow, Outcomes and Value at Darent Valley Hospital

Liverpool University Hospitals FT: Liverpool Metastatic Bone Service (LiMBS)

Oxford University Hospitals FT: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Spine Awake Surgery. The Oxford SAS Protocol for High Volume Low Complexity Spine Surgery

Salford Royal Care Organisation, Northern Care Alliance FT: Use of Reduced Array Electroencephalogram (EEG) and Instant Messaging in the Treatment of Epilepsy in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit

Somerset FT: Implementation of the Self Referral Bleeding After Menopause Service

University Hospitals of Leicester Trust: Ambulatory Care

 

Topics

Winners of HSJ Awards 2025 revealed