Questions to Mr Jeremy Lefroy

Some thoughts and questions, following communications I've received and comments made on the petition. Considering some stroke sufferers may need long term after care, is it possibly short sighted of the Trust to consider removing rehabilitation facilities from Stafford County Hospital? What does research suggest the effect would be on patients placed in a medical ward? I understand from various communications that this occurs often to patients in hospitals without stroke rehab units and the outcome is far from ideal. Isn't it a fact that a majority of cases of people who suffer a stroke result in having a physical disability of some nature afterwards? Would 'care in the home' allow full provision for these NHS patients needs? If the stroke unit at Stafford's County Hospital were removed, what would happen to stroke victims who might require end of life care? Where would they go for end of life care treatment? A medical ward with staff having full expertise and knowledge in the domain of stroke care? Would there be sufficient funding available and in place to commit to adequate and appropriate care of post stroke patients following the demise of Stafford's stroke unit? According to many comments, the nature of the experienced staff currently on the ward and the facilities provided within the ward at Stafford would suggest this is a successful department which requires support rather than being downgraded/dismantled. The worry and anger towards news of the latest prospective ward closure at Stafford is endorsed by the latest report concerning UHNM. If the trust and hospital are struggling to cope with demands made upon them now, along with financial issues not helped by the government, transferring post stroke patients to Stoke will increase the burden on UHNM won't it? If the decision is made to source care for stroke sufferers in their own homes, all costs required to make such a scheme successful need to be factored into the equation, rather than just the briefest guesstimates, which have presumably resulted in this latest financial debacle, seen in the attached report. Leave our stroke rehabilitation unit alone where it belongs at Stafford County Hospital. The trust's accounting skills appear to have been historically rather questionable to say the least, so it's cost cutting and service enhancing targets regarding Stafford stroke patients should perhaps be called into question too. Enough now!