St George’s Hospital is to be designated a specialist stroke unit following a public consultation.
As a stroke unit, the Tooting hospital will provide emergency care to stroke patients, including access to a CT scan and clot-busting drugs, within 30 minutes.
Once stabilised, patients will be moved to the stroke unit or to a local hospital closer to home.
Some 11,500 Londoners suffer a stroke - which is the second biggest killer in London and the most common cause of disability - each year.
David Astley, St George's chief executive, said: “We are delighted at the announcement which will enable St George’s to enhance its already leading edge stroke services.
"We are committed to developing services that, by the end of 2009, will deliver the quality and level of stroke care which the Healthcare for London stroke strategy envisages.”
St George’s already houses a specialist stroke unit which was praised by the Stroke Association in February 2009 as being a “beacon of good practice”.
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