Skip to the content

Neurosciences

Neurosciences is a combination of three key specialties including Neurology, Stroke and Clinical Neurophysiology.

We have two dedicated wards at UHNM. Ward 127 is home to our Acute Stroke Team, located next to the Trent Building entrance.  Ward 120 (Neurology) is also located on the main corricor of the Trent building at the Royal Stoke site. Our Neurology Ambulatory Care Unit had moved to the County Hospital site, on the 2nd Floor.

We operate consultant and nurse-led clinics in Outpatients for new patients and on-going diagnosis management. 

Our Clinical Neurophysiology department is a regional specialty service which offers support to the Neurology team in helping to diagnose problems such as Epilepsy and Carpal Tunnel.  They work closely with many other departments in the hospital.

We have a team of 40 administration and clerical staff who oversee operational issues, as well providing secretarial support to nurses and consultants.

Specialist Registrars help to deliver outpatient clinics and ward care in conjunction with consultants.  Trainee doctors also provide assistance on our wards.

We work closely with other Trusts and currently provide Outpatients clinics in surrounding areas.​

Neurology/Stroke consultants

 

Neurology Consultants

Dr Brendan Davies, Regional Headache Specialist Lead & Joint Clinical Lead for Neurology
Dr Carl Mann, Clinical Lead, Movement Disorders & Parkinson's Disease Specialist
Dr Jonathan Partridge, Consultant Neurologist, MND Specialist
Dr Simon Ellis, Consultant Neurologist, & Neurological Behaviour Specialist​
Dr Adnan Al-Araji, Consultant Neurologist & MS Specialist
Dr Martina Mockova, Consultant Neurologist & Epilepsy Specialist
Dr Roby Abraham, Consultant Neurologist. MS Specialist & Joint Clinical Lead for Neurology
Dr Csaba Munkacsi, Consultant Neurologist
Dr Konstantinos Kioulachidas. Consultant Neurologist & Headache Specialist
Dr Thomas Lambert, Consultant Neurologist
Dr Seema Kalra, Consultant Neurologist & MS Specialists
Dr Ogunrin Olubunmi, Consultant Neurologist at County Hospital
Dr Omar Salim, Consultant Neurologist & MS Specialists
Dr Michela Simoni, Consultant Neurologists

 

Stroke Consultants

Professor Indira Natarajan Clinical Director for Neurosciences & Stroke Consultant
Professor Christine Roffe, Stroke Consultant
Dr Girish Muddegowda, Stroke Consultant
Dr Ranjan Sanyal, Stroke Consultant
Dr Jayan Chembala​, Stroke Consultant
Dr Harinath Chandrashekar, Stroke Consultant

Neurophysiology

Beccy Law, Senior Professional Scientists & Business Manager
Dr Hyder, Consultant Neurophysiologist
Dr Ehtesham Hashmi, Consultant Neurophysiologist & Clinical Lead
Sara Doherty, Operational Services Manager

 

Nursing

Lisa Simpson, Neurosciences Matron
Karen Hunter, Ward Managers 127, (Stroke)
Alice Podmore, Lead Advanced Healthcare Professional, 127 (Stroke)
Rachael Swift Senior Ward Manager 120 (Neurology)
Paris Martin, Deputy Ward Manager 120 (Neurology)

 

Management team

Lisa Foddy, Directorate Manager
Lisa Simpson, Neurosciences Matron
Wendy Fradley, Operational Services Manager
Michelle Rigby, Operational Services Manager
Steve Bradbury, Neurosciences Data Analystor

Directorate office (RSUH)          

01782 679451

County Hospital secretary office             

01785 230238

Leighton secretary office           

01270 273630​

Neurophysiology department   

01782 675303

Ward 120 (Neurology)               

01782 676120

Ward 127 (stroke)                  

01782 676127

 

 

Ward 120 - Neurology

Ward 120 is at Royal Stoke University Hospital and can be accessed via the lifts in the main atrium. Ward 231 is located on Level 3, Main Building.

You can contact the ward on 01782 676120.

Our ward visiting times are 2pm-8pm, seven days-a-week.

The unit has an ambulatory suite which operates five days-a-week.


Ward 127 - Acute Stroke Unit

Ward 127 is at the Royal Stoke University Hospital and can be accessed via the main atrium.  Ward 127 is located on Ground Floor, Main Building.

You can contact the ward on 01782 676127.

Our ward visiting times are 2pm-8pm, seven days-a-week.

A TIA and minor stroke clinic operates seven days-a-week. The ward delivers a 24-hour thrombolysis service.

The ward has access to specialist therapy teams that help to deliver rehabilitation in speech and language, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.  Our wide range of staff help provide the best service for patients, their families and friends affected by stroke.  

 

Our Specialties

Headache is one of the most common problems in the UK.  A wide range of effective treatments are available for most headache disorders.  Studies have shown that headaches are underestimated, under-diagnosed and under treated.  A patient's quality of life can be greatly improved by effective diagnosis and treatment. 

Parkinson's Disease is a progressive disease of the nervous system, marked by tremor, muscular rigidity, and slow, imprecise movement.  It chiefly affects middle-aged and elderly people. 

Epileptic seizures occur when there is an episode of abnormal electrical activity within the brain. There are a number of different types of seizure which may result in abnormalities of the senses (such as taste or smell), involuntary body movements, a loss of or impaired consciousness, or collapse and convulsion.

Neurophysiology is the study of nervous system function. 

This may involve the study of neurological complications of head injury, the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome and the study of neuropsychological complication of neurological illness, amongst many other things.

Royal Stoke University Hospital now has its own centre of excellence for the treatment of MS.  

Click here to learn about the centre

The Ambulatory Care Unit is situated on Ward 231. 

This innovative new service enables patients to receive various treatments as Day Case procedures rather than having to stay in hospital. This is beneficial to both patients and the hospital.

The suite is friendly and offers opportunities for patients to communicate with other individuals experiencing similar conditions, symptoms or illness.

The suite is operated by staff with a background in neurological care. The team, led by Advanced Nurse Practitioner Scott Dobing, are passionate and caring and are eager to develop the service even further in the future.

Click here to find out more about our specialist service for people with MND.

 

Stroke service

The stroke ward is Ward 231 ​, located on the ground floor at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Patients who have suffered  a stroke are initially brought to the 
Emergency Care Centre by ambulance. If you are visiting a friend or relative please park on the multi-storey car park, or if you are a blue badge holder, the disabled car park outside the main entrance. Access to the ward is via the main entrance of Main Building.

 

The Specialist Neurosciences Unit at County Hospital has an acute stroke and rehabilitation unit, which also treats patients with neurological disorders.

The unit is situated on the top floor.

Ward Manager
Sheila Masters

Consulta​nts 
Dr Jayan Chembala 
Dr Janaka Weerathunga​

The stroke service is jointly provided by University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust and the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership Trust.  We have a combined acute stroke unit (hyper acute beds and acute beds) and a specialist stroke rehabilitation unit at Haywood Hospital.  

There is a daily rapid-access TIA (Transient Ischaemic Attack) clinic, closely linked with vascular surgery. We have 24/7 access to CT, CT angiography, perfusion and diffusion imaging and MRI. 

UHNM is one of the most active thrombolysis centres in the region. Our annual thrombolysis rate is around 20%; well above the national target. Our mortality is around 11% which is well below the national mortality rate. We have close links with imaging, vascular surgery and neurosurgery, supported by multi-disciplinary meetings for case review.   We also have close links with the neuro-rehabilitation service at Haywood Hospital.

For newly appointed nurses there is a rolling programme of multi-disciplinary staff teaching which involves regular four-day courses on stroke management within the Stroke School, run in collaboration with Keele University.  Newly appointed nurses will be encouraged to attend the school  to enhance their knowledge in all aspects of stroke.  There is a monthly research seminar and an annual multidisciplinary stroke study day. We want to train all our nurses in all aspects of stroke care so that they can become specialists in key areas of stroke medicine. 

People suffering a stroke in North Staffordshire are more likely to survive than almost anywhere else in the country. The Royal Stoke University Hospital's neurosciences department has the fourth-best survival record in the country, and the best in the West Midlands. The Trust recorded 171 deaths with diagnosis of acute cerebrovascular disease against an expected level of 225.

However, our stroke service is much more than about simply helping our patients to survive. We have comprehensive rehabilitation programmes that aim to improve a patient's quality of life, or even a full recovery.​

Telemedicine enables stroke patients in Shropshire and Staffordshire to receive faster access to clot-busting drugs. Clinicians from University Hospitals are able to give advice via a live video link to colleagues across Staffordshire and Shropshire. This safe and sustainable technology enables patients who present at their local hospital with the symptoms of stroke to receive thrombolysis rapidly, any time day or night, giving a 'gold standard' service.

Telemedicine is the use of portable units that allow hospital doctors in a different location to give a virtual assessment for stroke patients via a video camera and screen. The doctors can speak to patient and their relatives, whilst seeing test results at the same time, as well as scans to help them make a decision on treatment.

On arrival at the hospital, stroke clinicians will be able to make quick decisions about whether to give the patient thrombolysis after seeing the results of the patient's CT scan.

Evidence demonstrates that, where appropriate, if patients are given the clot-busting drugs within three hours of the onset of their symptoms they will be able to recover more quickly, reduce disability and have a better quality of life.

Atrial Fibrillation - Dr Natarajan from UHNM NHS Trust on Vimeo.

 

UHNM has an atrial fibrillation stroke prevention team. The team provide a first-class service to patients who have a diagnoses of atrial fibrillation, with the aim of preventing acute stroke in at-risk patients with effective and safe management.

This experienced team are able to make complex decisions for the benefit of patients, ensuring that their risk of suffering a stroke is reduced.​​

The Stroke Team at University Hospitals of North Midlands have been awarded the Best of Staffordshire award for Promoting Excellence in Neurological Services by the Staffordshire Neurological Alliance. 

For outstanding performance and true innovation, above and beyond meeting targets. 

Back to top of page