Northern Ireland's regional thrombectomy service is now operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, following a £5 million investment. The expansion aims to ensure that stroke patients can receive timely treatment regardless of the time of day or night.
Gemma O'Hara, a 40-year-old who suffered a brain stem stroke in September 2025, described the thrombectomy procedure as a "miracle treatment" that significantly aided her recovery. O'Hara experienced symptoms including intense neck pain, sickness, and vertigo. Upon arrival at Antrim Area Hospital, she had numbness, was unable to walk or talk, and felt "locked in my body." After receiving clot-busting medication, she was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast for a thrombectomy, a procedure that removes blood clots and restores blood flow to the brain.
"You have to get treated so fast. You can't let time go past when it's to do with your brain," O'Hara stated. "If I didn't get it in time I wouldn't be the way I am now."
Dr. Patricia Gordon, a stroke consultant at Belfast Health Trust, explained that thrombectomy is crucial for patients with large clots blocking major arteries in the brain, which constitute about 10% of stroke cases. Untreated, these severe strokes carry a significant risk of death or severe disability, such as loss of speech or motor function. According to Dr. Gordon, the procedure can increase a patient's chances of a good recovery by over 50% and reduce the risk of death by nearly 20%, transforming patients from a dependent state to near independence.
The expanded service is expected to increase capacity to approximately 300 thrombectomy procedures annually, doubling the number performed during the previous limited hours. The initiative is part of Stormont's Programme for Government (PfG) Elective Care funding and aligns with the Reshaping Stroke Care Action Plan published in June 2022, which committed to the 24/7 expansion. Artificial intelligence-supported imaging is also being utilized to help clinicians quickly identify suitable patients.
The regional pathway involves stroke teams from multiple hospitals, including Causeway, Antrim Area, Royal Victoria, Ulster, Craigavon Area, Daisy Hill, Altnagelvin, and South West Acute hospitals, all contributing to the delivery of this enhanced service at the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast.