In September 2023, a collaboration with University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) in central London brought STROKESTRA® to acute and hyper-acute stroke survivors for the very first time. Partnering with the stroke team at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, a three-day project introduced STROKESTRA® to clinicians before working with patients still in hospital following their stroke.
Patients being earlier on in their stroke recovery highlighted a range of necessary adaptations around programme structure and aims. Participants were often still experiencing medical challenges that meant fatigue and concentration were more severely impacted, necessitating shorter intensive sessions and more flexibility in attendance. This meant that goals were better focused on what participants could achieve in single sessions rather than expecting progress across several subsequent sessions. Sessions on the wards were also necessarily adapted, with a heightened focus on mood lifting and general engagement through listening and singing, to reach patients still experiencing the immediate aftermath of their strokes.
Both on the ward and in group work, clinicians agreed the programme adds additional benefit to patients’ recovery while in hospital, and aim to develop ongoing work in future.
