THERE has been welcome news for patients of Stratton Hospital, Bude who require vascular treatment with the introduction of a new outpatient clinic.

Stratton Hospital comes under the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) and provides a service for those in remote areas in North Cornwall, many of whom would have to travel long distances for specialist outpatient care.

The new clinics are a further expansion of The Cornwall Vascular Institute at RCHT, which will provide around the clock access to skilled vascular surgeons and radiologists.

One of the many new services the team at RCHT’s Stratton Hospital will offer is treatment for varicose veins using the NICE-recommended and preferred treatment of endothermal ablation.

Keith, who lives near Holsworthy, welcomes the start of the Bude clinics as it will reduce the time he spends travelling to and from hospital.

Keith has been receiving treatment in Cornwall for eight years for varicose veins since he first took advantage of laser treatment that simply wasn’t available anywhere else nearby.

He said: “It can be a two-hour trip to Truro or Hayle which is particularly difficult if you need public transport or someone to drive.

“With treatment time, that’s a whole day’s commitment. Stratton Hospital is only around 17-miles away and having my latest treatment there was just so easy. I’d recommend it to anyone in this area.”

The Cornwall Vascular Institute at RCHT team has been at the forefront of developments in the treatment of arterial and venous disease for almost 20-years.

They have the longest established endovascular aneurysm repair programme in the South West, which provides a minimally invasive technique to repair the potentially life-threatening weakening of main vessels supplying blood to the heart.

Consultant vascular surgeon, Ken Woodburn said: “We’ll be bringing our specialist outpatient clinics to Stratton Hospital once a month.

“We’ll be accepting referrals from GPs in that part of Cornwall and nearby Devon for patients with all aspects of arterial disease, deep or superficial venous disease including varicose veins, ulcers and lymphedema.

“We’ve been pioneering advances in vascular surgery here in Cornwall over the last 10 years.

“Other services now offered include rapid access to carotid surgery for patients referred from the stroke and mini-stroke service, where we treat more patients within two weeks than any other hospital in the region.”

Patients in North Cornwall and those in Devon near the Bude-Stratton area will have access to the new service ‘Choose & Book’, which is available at the new clinic when patients are referred by their GP to vascular services.