NHS bosses are being urged to review the opening hours for stroke units in Greater Manchester following the death of an elderly woman from Chelford.

Constance Josephine Robinson, 80, died at Stepping Hill Hospital at Stockport on April 27, 2019, from heart failure and a brain haemorrhage.

On April 15, 2019 she was taken to Salford Royal Hospital, a Hyper Acute Stroke unit, where scans revealed an intracerebral haemorrhage.

On April 19 she was transferred to Stepping Hill, here local Hyper Acute Stroke Unit, where he died eight days later.

Constance required admission to a stroke unit at 6.28am on April 15, and the nearest unit was at Stepping Hill Hospital. However as the hospital would not be open until 7am she was taken to Salford Royal, an extra 18 miles and an additional 30 minutes journey time.

Alan Walsh, senior coroner for Manchester West, conducted the inquest into Constance’s death.

He has urged the Greater Manchester Stroke Operational Delivery Network to review the provision of Hyper Acute Stroke Units in Greater Manchester.

He made particular reference to admission to the units at Fairfield Hospital and Stepping Hill Hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to enable quicker admission from Greater Manchester and surrounding areas, and to have doctors in the units 24 hours a day, in particular between 11pm and 7am.

He said the stroke unit at Salford Royal was open 24 hours a day, whereas those at Fairfield and Stepping Hill were open from 7am to 11pm.

He said: “If she [Constance] had been admitted to Stepping Hill Hyper Acute Stroke Unit on April 15 she could have remained there for continuing treatment, rather than a subsequent transfer from Salford Royal to Stepping Hill on April 19.

He said: “The reduction in time for admission to a unit and the availability of doctors in each unit between 11pm and 7am would reduce the risks in relation to stroke patients and prevent future deaths.

“In my opinion urgent action should be taken to prevent future deaths, and I believe you [Greater Manchester Stroke Operational Delivery Network] have the power to take such action.”