28 October 2024
A new million-pound stroke rehab unit in Surrey’s Frimley Park Hospital has been officially opened by BBC F1 presenter and Surrey resident, Jennie Gow.
Funded by Frimley Health Charity and more than 1600 donors, the rehab unit is part of a new extension to the hospital, with dedicated rooms for speech therapy and psychological assessments and a specially-designed rehab garden to help patients with their physical recovery.
The latest figures from Public Health England show that the average age of people suffering strokes is lowering - 38% of people suffering strokes are considered middle aged (40-69) and 1 in 150 strokes happen in people under the age of 20.
Jennie Gow was just 45 when she had a stroke in December 2022, caused by a blood clot which damaged the part of her brain associated with speech. She was brought to Frimley Park Hospital by ambulance and later transferred to St George’s Hospital in Tooting for emergency treatment.
The presenter who has covered F1 and other motorsport events for the BBC, ITV, Netflix and Sky, spent months relearning how to talk and walk after the stroke in 2022 and said in a recent BBC interview that her recovery was down to the "fortune and luck of such a quick medical response”.
Jennie has spoken openly about her long and challenging journey to recovery, and her steadfast determination to regain her speech and return to the job she loves.
Speaking at the event, Jennie said: “I’m delighted to open this new rehab unit and garden which will provide a valuable and peaceful space for patients and their families and friends. The stroke unit played a massive part for me in setting the foundations to have a good recovery.
“Strokes can be truly devastating for all involved and having this space will help people to start coming to terms with what has happened. I know the amazing staff and nurses will make great use of this to help patients, just as they did with me. “
Andrew House, charity director, said: “We raised more than £600,000 in our dedicated stroke appeal and we are thrilled to be opening the new rehab unit for the stroke unit at Frimley Park. This incredible build is all thanks to the generosity of our donors, many of whom are at today’s event to see the brand new unit and the difference it will make to the recovery journey of the hospital’s stroke patients.”
Frimley Park Hospital provides 24-hour, seven days per week thrombolysis service where clot busting drugs are administered within 4.5 hours of the onset of stroke to break down blood clots.
All stroke patients are admitted to the stroke unit for evaluation by a team of multi-disciplinary specialists including consultant stroke physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists.
Once a stroke patient leaves hospital, they will be cared for as an outpatient by a multi-disciplinary team of stroke specialists.