Mid Yorkshire Hospitals complete important stroke and severe headaches research study which began in 2021

Emergency Medicine and Research teams at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust recruited over 90 patients to take part in the Trainee Emergency Research Network (TERN) Subarachnoid Haemorrhage in the Emergency Department (SHED) study, which took place from November 2021 to February 2023.

The Trust covers Pinderfields, Dewsbury and Pontefract Hospitals.

Subarachnoid haemorrhage is a potentially severe cause of headache in the UK and requires urgent identification and treatment. It is defined as the presence of blood within one of the layers of the brain.

The study, which collated data from patients with non-traumatic acute headache presenting to the Emergency Department, aims to understand how these headaches are dealt with by Emergency Departments in West Yorkshire.

The ongoing SHED research may change the way that headaches are managed in ED’s and therefore impact on future treatment if patients re-attend hospital.

Len Richards, Chief Executive of the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “A huge thank you and well done to all of our staff members who have been involved in the study. From recruiting patients to collecting and inputting data, you should all be extremely proud of your efforts and I’m looking forward to reading the results when published.”

The final outcomes from the research study is expected to be published in February 2024.