Stroke patients in Wales ‘could die’ because thrombectomy not available

Acute shortage in NHS of specialist doctors who undertake life-saving treatment means hospitals cannot provide it

Stroke patients in Wales are being denied a life-saving pioneering treatment after the surgical team providing it had to be mothballed because of an acute NHS shortage of the specialist doctors who undertake the procedure.

Internal NHS emails obtained by the Guardian reveal that health service bosses in Wales are pleading with hospitals in England to perform mechanical thrombectomy on their patients to save them from disability and death.