VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Mechanical Thrombectomy: Health Services

Asked by Dr Caroline JohnsonConservativeDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 11 December 2025UIN 95990

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer to Question 85849 on Mechanical Thrombectomy: Health Services, what estimate he has made of the time taken for a patient to be transferred from the referring centre to a hospital offering thrombectomy services after the decision to accept the patient for care.

Answered by Ashley Dalton

The National Stroke Service Model and the National Service Model for an Integrated Community Stroke Service set out an evidenced based pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey. The service model sets out that all acute stroke patients should have rapid access to a stroke unit within four hours and receive an early multidisciplinary assessment.

The Department does not hold information on transfer times to thrombectomy units in the format requested. The proportion of patients that had access to a stroke unit within four hours has risen to 51.3%, from 47.7% in 2024.

Presently there are 24 Comprehensive Stroke Centres offering mechanical thrombectomy services in the NHS in England, covering six out of the seven NHS regions. NHS England has committed that all NHS regions in England will have access to 24/7 mechanical thrombectomy by April 2026.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim