A person calling an ambulance in a Kent district has a 0.3% chance of arriving within an hour at the nearest hospital offering stroke services under new plans.

Startling figures show the stark reality of what will face stroke patients in Thanet should services be moved to Ashford’s William Harvey Hospital, some 38 miles away.

With the William Harvey also being lined up as the major hospital for east Kent, it could mean even more emergency patients being forced to make the journey from Thanet.

It comes after Kent and Medway clinical commissioning groups announced plans in January this year to invest £40m to create three hyper acute stroke units in the county.

But, of the 691 people taken by ambulance from the district to Ashford in the 16 months from the start of 2017 – the majority of whom were heart attack patients – just two reached the William Harvey within 60 minutes of emergency crews being alerted.

Betty Renz, 86, uncovered the statistics as part of her fight to keep stroke services at the QEQM Hospital in Margate.

Health bosses want to move the services to a new hyper-acute stroke unit (HASU) at the William Harvey, igniting fears over the long travel times.

The Ashford hospital is included in all five options being considered, and the QEQM in none of them.

Mrs Renz said: “If we don’t have a HASU here they have already decided they are going to close Margate’s unit.

“At the Broadstairs public consultation meeting I stood up and said although the setting up of HASUs is obviously an improvement for stroke victims, we reject all five options because none of them satisfy the needs of anybody who is more than 30 minutes away from one.

“This latest information that only two got to Ashford within the hour out of 691 is just shocking. I was amazed when I saw it.

“It’s terrible to think they can do these things to people.”

Grandmother-of-one Mrs Renz, of Madeira Road, Cliftonville, believes if the stroke unit is removed from the QEQM, it will not be the last thing to go.

“I believe it is a precursor for more, because already they’ve taken so much away,” she said.

“They don’t consider people being people.

“We’re just numbers, that’s all.

“People in Thanet already have to pay more for their healthcare because many times they have to go to Ashford.

“So it is disgraceful that in this area, known to be a deprived area, it actually costs us more to access all the services that have been removed.

“We’ve got a 24-hour A&E hospital but they’ve taken so much away over the past 20 years.”

Thanet CCG bosses say that while they understand the concerns over people in Thanet travelling to Ashford, it is important stroke patients receive care from a specialist service quickly.

Patricia Davies, senior responsible officer for the review of urgent stroke services in Kent and Medway, said: “It is important to get stroke patients to specialist services quickly so they can start their treatment as soon as possible.

“However, travel times are just one factor in ensuring people have the best outcome after a stroke. Other vital factors are the availability of staff to treat them – both when they first arrive at the hospital and to provide 24/7 care after that.

“We know that it is the totality of care given in the first 72 hours after a stroke that makes a difference. As the NHS, we work to the National Clinical Guideline for Stroke.

“It says that patients should get clot-busting drugs, if they need them, as soon as possible, ideally within three hours of symptoms starting – and at most within 4.5 hours of stroke.

“Between 10 and 20 per cent of stroke patients may need clot-busting therapy.

“We have set ourselves the more stringent ambition of giving clot-busting drugs to those who need them within two hours of making a 999 call.”

South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay was recently criticised for his lack of action over plans regarding stroke services.

He argues, however, that he wants “what is best for Thanet” and would ideally like a fourth unit at QEQM.

“My understanding of the case made by the senior stroke consultant in Kent, Dr David Hargroves, and the view of the stroke association is that it is the first 72 hours that are vital and the proposals in their current form will reduce deaths and long-lasting impairments for the people of Thanet,” he said.

“Dr Hargroves has also stressed that the most important thing is to get to the right place as quickly as possible.

“This obviously does not sit well with the current proposals; the CCG will need to provide further reassurance that their preferred option of stroke treatment at the William Harvey for residents of Thanet will indeed improve outcomes.”

North Thanet MP Roger Gale added: “It takes about an hour to get from Thanet to Ashford anyway. But that’s not to say it’s an hour until you get treatment, as you do get treated by paramedics on the way.

“Craig and I have raised the issue and we have argued for a fourth unit in Thanet. The problem with east Kent is that it does not lend itself to having one main place as there is not one easily accessible place.

“To get into Canterbury you often need to go over a train line, which can add to delays.

“I have always said, if they were going to build a major new hospital for east Kent, it should be in Whitfield.

“However, we have to go with medical judgement.

“You cannot have everything everywhere.

“Demographically, there is a greater concentration of older people in Thanet than in Ashford. And generally, the older you are, the more at risk you are of having a stroke.

“That’s why, to my mind, it would make sense to have a fourth unit in Thanet.”